Come Dance With Me
by Chicky Tifa
Summary: The Resident Evil Gang get together for the RPD Dance! Love, Fun and Excitement collide, so please Read, Review and ENJOY!
1. That Dancin' Feelin'

**As worlds collide,**

**I turn to you,**

**Together we're stronger,**

**I lean on you,**

**Forever we stand,**

**Not alone,**

**But together,**

**As the flames of life,**

**Draw us to each other.**

**By Chicky Tifa. **

Come Dance with Me....

Disclaimer: Ok, I don't own any of these guys, K?

Rebecca Chamber's eyes opened from her dreams and adjusted to the light pouring in through the open curtain. Her dreams had been different, not her usual Zombie filled blood laden ones, but of ones filled with soft music, wine and prom dresses. This was due to the event happening at the end of the week: The RPD Prom. More of a dance really. Rebecca wanted to relive the teenage thrills of buying dresses, doing her hair and make up.

The ecstasy and agony of sweaty palms, the things she had missed out on at school. True, this dance would be more mature, a lot less hormonal, but it was as close as she could get to, to her dreams. Rebecca had missed out on that part of school, having graduated early and gone off to Harvard. Even then she had swotted, and never attended Sorority meets or dances. This however would be a night to remember...

Carlos groggily pulled himself out of his double bed, grunting at the absence of a chick. Jeez, man, he thought to himself, been an age since you got a decent rap. He regarded himself in his floor length mirror, and gave a louder grunt. His eyes were blotchy and red and his hair stuck up in uncontrollable tufts. Carlos was not a morning person. Stumbling down the stairs, carefully avoiding the piles of junk and playboy issues, he entered the kitchen.

Quickly cracking eggs into a pan, his eyes flitted to the red edged card stuck to the fridge.... The invite to the RPD Prom. He had been torn about going, he needed a date. Everyone had written him off as a horny Brazilian boy, who'd shed his shorts as soon as a babe walked past. But underneath his sexy accent and macho form, Carlos was a real worrier. He sat down to think over his possibilities...

' Leon Scott Kennedy! Get your cute, sexy, OH DON'T GET ME STARTED! Ass down here!' Screeched Claire Redfield from inside the kitchen. Shortly, a dishevelled Leon appeared in the doorway, eyes heavy with sleep. Clad in only his Super Mario boxers and a white t-shirt, Leon looked younger than his 20 years.

' Jeez Claire, it's 4 am!' he said exasperatedly, but still giving her a good morning kiss.

' Hold it Buster' said Claire putting her arms up in self-defence against Leon's kiss,

'Your breath still stinks like that wine we had yesterday'.

' Really? I thought it would smell like chocolate, like the chocolate we had last night... you know what I mean' said Leon, a smile growing on his schoolboy features.

' Maybe you're right, Kennedy, but I'll just have to check' said Claire devilishly, leaning over and giving Leon a rambunctious kiss, which was a little too extreme for the morning. Leon loses balance a little and falls back onto the kitchen floor.

' Claire, as much as I love this position, I'm still a little sore from yesterday and the day before that and the day before that and the day before that....' Said Leon weakly as the inviting curves of Claire pressed against him.

' Ooh, Kennedy refuses some, let me call the papers!' said Claire, cocking up a well-plucked eyebrow, but rolling off Leon.

'Besides,' said Leon, as he pulls himself to his feet. 'I'm saving that for prom night' he said seductively, just before falling face first in what could be called a last night's pizza.

' Better not pull any moves like that on the dance floor, Kennedy, or you'll be on the bench' screeched Claire, as she hauled a mangled Leon to his feet.

' Alfred, I love you more than a brother,' said Alexia. ' I love you like this' she said, as she unbuttoned her red dress, revealing a large Playstaion 2. Strangely enough her body was made of a large Playstation 2 and suddenly the theme tune to pokemon started up in the background and Alexia turned into a Pikachiu and started to ride around on the back of a large pizza... Chris suddenly awoke from his dreams.

His violent jerk had jerked his sleeping beauty off his chest. Jill Valentine, who was cuter than a pikachiu , sexier than Alexia and more fun to play with than 200 Playstation 2s put together and namely the love of his life, had been thrown off his chest and had hit the floor with a loud and ominous thud.

' SHIT!' shouted Chris, trying to quickly lift her off the floor before she woke up. Too late. The curvaceous, blue eyes, fire haired beauty had stirred and was staring at him in the eyes. He waited for the likely response.

' Damn Redfield, Fourth time this week you've done that!' shrieked Jill, whilst pouting her cherub lips.

' Sorry Jillie, but you took it literally when I said that my bed was yours' said Chris, planting his hands either side of her hips, thinking desperately of some way to overcome the inevitable.

' Hah, good joke, I don't think' said Jill, pushing Chris off her, and cuffing his ear.

Chris winced slightly and rubbed his ear as Jill pulled herself up and straightened her nightshirt that had gone askew. She stood still; regarding him and she softly took his hand, and looked at him in the eyes.

' Same as last night' she asked concernedly.

' Yup. Pizzas, Pikachius, PS2s and the weirdy love siblings' said Chris dejectedly, running his hand thorough his spiky hair and sighing.

' It'll get better' she said soothingly. 'You're still not off the hook though'.

Chris thought wildly and instinctively pulled her close and placed soft kisses along her neck. Jill relaxed against his body and kissed his forehead.

' Now am I?' he asked, his green eyes gazing into hers deeply.

' Not quite. Anyway, what's better to get your mind off things, than a dance!' she proclaimed whilst spinning around gracefully.

' Jill, we both know that a Nemesis could dance better than me' replied Chris.

Jill widens her eyes and raises her hand to cuff his other ear.

' I'll be good' Chris hastily says, backing away a step.

' Chris, why would anything go worn? Like the worse that could happen is Claire getting drunk and stripping, right?' She asks.

' Excuse me, but I still harbour memories of the last dance' he answers.

Yes, it was all coming back now. The dance before the mansion incident. The Mayor's daughter had been there, radiant and beautiful in a sleek white dress. Belle of the Ball. She had most of the men drooling but had been making eyes at Chris the whole evening. She had shimmied up to him, Chris had nervously smiled. She had been about to ask him to dance, when he had accidentally split his wine down her dress.

The icing on the cake was the see through stain it had left, revealing everything down to the padded wonder bra. Busted. Crazy that her dress had been ruined, and crazy that her main beauty secret had been revealed, she had stamped off to daddy. Daddy then had landed Chris in huge ape shit.

' Well there's gonna be no posh, slip of a mayor's daughter present at this one' Jill reminded Chris. ' And don't forget, you weren't the only one who landed themselves in huge ape shit'.

'Huh?' Asked Chris, incredulous, that JILL had got into trouble. She had always been so squeaky clean. Jill shrugs and tells her tale.

' Joseph had double dared me to smack Wesker's butt' she said quietly.

' What? Can you say that louder?' asked Chris teasingly. ' One question for ya: what was the experience like? Enchanting, Excruciating, or Explosive? The choice is yours'.

' He butt is really bony. Bonier than your scrawny ass!' Jill shrieks.

' And the point of that little outburst is?' asks Chris.

' Chris just come to the damn dance and have fun. For once in your workaholic life.'

' For you Jillie, I'll do anything, only if you do this one little thing'

Jill pouts and sits on the bed. Chris drops down to one knee......

' Sorry Jill, I just had to pull up one of my socks!'

' REDFIELD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!'.

'OK OK OK! Just give me match on Tekken 3. You as Nina, me as Jin'.

' Men. Easy to manipulate. Your on!'

Chris and Jill settle down to a furious tournament, in the realms of the playstation.

To be continued....

Chicky says: What do you think? Did you like the poem I made up!? Well stay tuned for the next installement.....poem is sappy....mehhhhhh!

**As worlds collide,**

**I turn to you,**

**Together we're stronger,**

**I lean on you,**

**Forever we stand,**

**Not alone,**

**But together,**

**As the flames of life,**

**Draw us to each other.**

**By Chicky Tifa. **


	2. Initiation

Initiation 

Rebecca had been sprawled out on the floor with a romance book, daydreaming about the dance, when the phone started to ring. Jerking herself out of her fantasies, she quickly darted to the phone in the hallway.

'Hieloooo?' she said, still trying to shake herself out of her fantasy.

'Um, Hello? Can I speak to Rebecca?' said the voice on the other end.

' You're speaking to her' she replied, now back on earth.

' This is Carlos. The boys and me are doing men's stuff and need you guys outta the way' said the straightforward Carlos in his Spanish lilt.

'Oh damn! Carlos!' thought Rebecca, silently cursing. The hottest guy in the whole police force, he probably thinks I'm a real weirdo....

' Hello? Rebecca? Are you there?' he said.

' Uh yeah. Sorry I there was uh.... interference down my end. Sure I'll hustle us someplace' she said, gathering her words so they came out in some form of intelligible speech.

' Could you like get outta town? Like go shopping at the mall in the next town or something?' he asked.

' Sure. That'll be fine.' She replied, trying her best not to sound too eager.

' Thanks Becks. Later' he said, and he hung up.

'Men's stuff?' Rebecca thought? I wonder...

' Blue or Fuchsia?' asked Claire for the 15th time that day. After much probing by all three women, they still had no idea what the men were up to. Not even Claire's sexy swing of the hips, managed to win Leon over. After much hesitation, he stuck to his guns.

So the women had nothing better to do but to hustle themselves off to the mall, that Carlos had suggested. After Claire's spontaneous coffee rounds and a couple of trips to the rest room, they had begun the inevitable job: Buying dresses for the dance.

Though the retail therapy had worked for them to an extent, they were still unsatisfied. So when Claire asked 'The Blue or Fuchsia' question AGAIN, they had felt they had come to the end of their tethers.

' Claire, you have a wardrobe full of good dresses. So why the hell do you need to try on every damn dress in the store!?' asked Jill exasperatedly.

So far, they had toured the shops Claire had wanted to go to. They all had very different tastes. Claire enjoyed showing off a bit of flesh, Jill had a weakness for strapless and Rebecca was preppy. After two hours of combing the mall, they still had found nothing. They were willing to carry on looking, but in a different place.

' Coffee break?' Rebecca feebly asked.

' Lead the way' groaned Jill, so they trooped off to Star Buck's. After they had ordered, they sat down to go over their options.

' How about that mall down south?' asked Claire.

'Costs a fortune' Replied Jill, whilst studying her nails.

' The mall west of my place?' asked Rebecca.

' Not enough choice' replied Jill, moving onto her hands.

' The Mall 2 miles off Carlos's house' asked Claire.

' Too damn Cheesy' replied Jill, examining the scar across her right hand.

' WHY DON'T YOU MAKE YOURE DAMN MIND UP!' yelled Claire.

' NOT MY FAULT THAT YOURE SO TEENNY BOPPY! Yelled Jill.

At once, two coffee mugs hit Jill simultaneously, complete with glares, from Claire and Rebecca who were both still 19.

' Okay, I withdraw that comment-

Claire and Rebecca smiled.

-But I'm not saying it's untrue'

This time coffee mugs complete with coffee mugs were thrown.

' Yeouch!!!!!!!' yelped Jill as scalding coffee made contact with her skin.

' You asked for it' replied the teenagers.

' What? I sit here with a sign taped to my forehead: Angry? Throw Stuff Now!' asked Jill angrily, rising to her feet.

' No, maybe the odd Kick me sign, but nothing like that' Claire answered calmly. Jill bristled with anger and was about to give Claire one of her patented ' Valentine Poundings' when Rebecca came to the rescue.

' Truce!' she yelled, waving a red silky G String in the air. There was a moment of

Silence, then Claire started to giggle, and Jill let out a chuckle.

' Where'd ya' get that from' asked Jill between laughs.

' I don't know. I just found it' said Rebecca succumbing to laughter.

' Hey it's mine!' shrieked Claire, her cheeks cherry red, as she grabbed it and put it

back in her bag.

' I thought I'd give Leon a prom night treat' Claire said saucily, winking.

' God Claire! He's seen you naked enough times. What would a flimsy piece of string

do for him?' asked Rebecca.

' Something. Leon's mind works in strange ways. Like if I say, get the broom, he gets

the toilet brush' said Claire, a sparkle coming into her blue eyes.

' That's not just a Leon thing. Chris somehow put his Playstaion 2 in the fridge and

got annoyed when the carrots wouldn't load up Dead or Alive!' cackled Jill.

' How about if we head to that mall west of Jill's house?' asked Claire.

' Would it be because they have the widest range of lingerie?' questioned Jill.

' As recommended by _Cosmo_' quipped Rebecca.

They head off to Jill's convertible and drive off.

Meanwhile, around Chris's house.

Leon is sitting on a chair in the middle of the room; Chris and Carlos are standing in

Front of him, looking down at him. Leon is biting his nails nervously. Carlos and

Chris had called him here 'On business' they had said. When he had arrived they

Had bundled him into the living room, drawn the curtains, and pushed him onto a

Chair and gone off in a huddle.

He had a feeling it that it might be that they had found

That Claire and him, use the infirmary as a small love nest... Leon swallowed and bit

His thumbnail anxiously. When Chris and Carlos had finished their ' discussion' they

began to tell Leon what was happening.

' Well as you know Leon, the RPD Dance is soon' began Carlos, staring at Leon his

brown eyes taunting him.

' And your probably going with Claire' said Chris mysteriously.

' Look, I promise not to let her drink too much and strip like she did last time!' Leon

burst out.

Chris and Carlos give Leon a puzzled look.

' Well it's nice to know that' said Carlos , cocking up an eyebrow.

' And' Chris begun, before Leon burst out with

' Okay! It was me who broke the rocket launcher, and I'm sorry!'

' It was broken? I haven't checked the stores for months' said Chris scratching his head.

' Well as Chris was about to say' Carlos started, but Leon burst out with...

' OKAY OKAY! Me and Claire use the infirmary for a little during work fun!'

Chris and Carlos stare at him and then start to laugh.

' He sounds just like a rookie' chuckled Chris.

' Oh teacher the dog broke the rocket launcher, it wasn't me, honest!' taunted Carlos.

Chris clapped a hand down on Leon's shoulder his eyes suddenly very serious.

' Leon, there seems to be a lot of things that you have not learned yet' said Chris.

' Leon, who cares if you use the infirmary? I know that Jill and Chris here, have the

deed rights for the weapon's room' said Carlos, dropping down to his Spanish lilt.

' And Carlos is partial to the janitor room' quipped Chris.

' Also, if something breaks, who cares? Just blame it on the rookie' said Carlos.

' But I am the rookie!' said Leon anxiously.

' Well blame it on somebody else. Heck who cares?' said Chris.

Leon seemed relieved, and Carlos was grinning like a Cheshire cat, the type of grin that Leon dreaded. 'Oh no.... this ain't gonna be good' thought Leon. It was the grin that Carlos had had when he had told him that the police dogs weren't vicious. The grin he had had when he said that the training run wouldn't be long, just a couple of miles.... Leon shuddered.

' A drink Leon?' asked Chris, who also seemed to be masking a smirk.

' Um, a coke' he choked out.

Chris left the room, and Leon was left with Carlos who still wore his grin. When Chris returned, he handed him a can of coke. Leon cracked it open and took a gulp, whilst the other two, sat, grinning. He carried on drinking.

' Well as you're the youngest rookie, you haven't had your initiation yet' said Carlos.

Leon continued to drink, nodding.

' And at what better time to be initiated into the team, at the RPD dance!' said Chris.

Leon head jerks up, causing him to choke, sending out a shower over all three of them. Carlos swipes drops of coke out of his hair, and Chris reaches for a tissue, as if he was expecting it to happen.

' Judging by your reaction you seem surprised' quips Chris whilst wiping a drop of cola from his eyelid.

' Surprised?! I'm damned relieved! ' Yelps Leon, regaining breath after his coke shower.

' What's with the cloak and dagger?' he continues.

' Well Carlos and me have a bet with Barry, that if we do a prank that's better than the one at the last dance, then we'll get $900 big ones' replies Chris.

' And we figured we could combine it with your initiation' said Carlos, casually brushing back a lock of brown hair.

' So both of you aren't willing to look stupid, so you're using this prank as an excuse for my initiation'

' Well no.' said Carlos hands in the air.

' Well yes. But it's killing a bird with two stones' quipped Chris.

' So basically, I'm gonna be the fool' questioned Leon, Coke in hand

' Well you might look a little' Chris begun.

' Stupid' said all three men together.

' No' said Leon flatly.

' Money shared three ways' stated Chris.

Leon stopped and stared at them. A strange look comes into his eyes. Anger. Then...

'YAHOO! Let's get to work!'

' Alright!' yell Chris and Carlos together punching the air with their fists.

The boys sit down to work out their sting operation....

Chicky sez: Hey y'all! What do ya' think? I think I'm gonna abandon this as nobody seems to like it much....


	3. Disastrous Shopping

Underwear, Girls and Suits

I felt the air rise up in me,

Kneeled down and cleared the stone of leaves,

I wonder out where you can't see,

Inside my shell I wait and bleed'

Wait and Bleed, By Slipknot.

' Okay! We need jockstraps!' yelled Chris a little too loudly, in the clothes store. At the sound of that loud comment at least thirty odd heads, turned to face in his direction. Trying not to blush, he buried his head in a leaflet he'd found on the bench. He dropped when he realised the content: ' Badly fitting bra?' by now more than 40 people were giving him weird looks, so he decided to try find another section where there was less people.

He hurried round a corner and almost collided with a dishevelled blonde kid with a wonder bra over his head and nearly tripped up over an olive skinned man, sporting a red g- string over his combats. Sighing he turned around and physically picked them, an eyebrow cocked.

' The new me?' asked Leon, giggling like a schoolgirl, as he placed the wonder bra back on the railings. ' I was thinking of getting Claire one'.

Chris's eyebrows rose higher. 'Leon, do I really want to know what type of underwear your buying for my sister?'

' Well she don't need one of them, man' was Carlos's reply. He jumped up on a bench and proceeded to moonwalk. ' What dya think of my Michael Jackson impression?' he shouted whilst wiggling his rear end and attracting the stares of many shoppers. Chris bodily pulled him down off the bench. But by then a number of shoppers had seen the display, and a group of girls immediately enveloped Carlos.

Carlos was lapping it all up, nodding and smiling and turning on his Spanish accent.

' So do you want to do something this weekend?' asked a 19 year old blonde wearing a skimpy top, which showed her impressive figure off.

' Sure, how's about 7: 30 pm, I can show you a good time' crooned Carlos, unable to keep his eyes off her chest. Just as he was about to reply, he felt a hand grip his shoulder. He froze slightly and turned to face a very angry salesgirl. She was no more than 20, and was dressed in a sleek suit. Carlos grinned.

' So you couldn't keep your hands of my either' he said in his best Spanish lilt. The salesgirl's face turned red. Not with embarrassment, but with....

' Excuse me, but we do not tolerate people who have no respect for the displays...' her yelling went on.... Chris was grinning in the corner and Leon was guffawing by the boxer shorts stand. Once the sexy salesgirl had finished her heated lecture and Carlos had handed over the underwear, the salesgirl turned to Chris.

' Now how may I help you?' she asked politely, whilst casually bending down to pick up some underwear off the floor, giving her an opportunity to show off her perfectly formed rear end.

' No thanks, I'm fine' said Chris, unconcernedly riffling through the underwear. The salesgirl smiled her best, and walked off wiggling her rear end. Carlos quickly turned around to the teenager, but she was gone and was ogling Leon, who was making her laugh.

' And he said: ' Sorry we're a potatoes store!' said Leon. The girl laughed even though she had no idea what he was talking about.

' Oh Leon, your so funny!' she cackled, tossing her mane of brown hair. Leon caught sight, of something in her tights, he played his trump card....

' Is that a ladder, or a stairway to heaven?' he asked blue eyes sparkling. The girl's face turned from smiling to anger...

' Pervert!' she yelled before raising her hand and smacking him hard across the face. The loud smack caused even more heads to turn and stare. She stomped off, not before smiling sweetly at Chris showing off her pearly whites, before she mixed into the crowd. Leon looked peeved and was feeling his face with his palm, groaning. Carlos stared longingly at the sales desk....

' Guys, Guys, guys...' said Chris, hands on waist. ' You still have to learn from the pro'.

The response he got was a barrage of groans.

' And why were you chatting up somebody other than my sister?' inquired Chris staring at Leon in the face, hands braced.

' Ummmm, why did the guy yell peanuts?!' and with that Leon darted through the underwear section and collided with a nude female model. At once the salesgirl came scurrying over, ready to lecture... Chris grabbed both men and they hurried into the suit section, free from the salesgirl. They collapsed onto a bench and heaved.

' Why did I take you guys shopping?' asked Chris, annoyed.

' We should have come when it was emptier' declared Leon, hand covering his face.

' When its fuller, there's more girls' quipped Carlos.

' I got the jockstraps' said Leon. 'Though I do not know why they feature in our RPD prank and my initiation'. He said, somewhat edgily.

' You haven't seen the thong I'm planning for you yet!' teased Chris.

' Well seeing as we're here why don't we try on some suits?' asked Carlos.

Chris shrugs. ' Okay, we can burn some time'.

The men hurry off to the tuxedo section....

' WAIT AND BLEED!!!!!!!!!' shouted Claire and Rebecca as loud as they could, imitating Slipknot. Jill who was driving swerved dangerously and almost drove upon the curb. Becky stood up in the convertible and continued to yell. A group of men, turned to look at her, she sat down, cheeks crimson. Claire, undaunted stood up and yelled the final ' WAIT AND BLEEEEEEEEEEDDDDDDDD!!!!!' her sudden yell startled Jill, who swerved and dodged a tree, which jerked Claire head first into her seat, her legs flailing in the air.

An even larger group of men guffawed loudly at her. Claire straightened herself out and ducked her head at the laughter. The song ended and started up with Korn, 'Dead Bodies Everywhere!' Jill sighed and ejected the tape.

' Jill, why dya turn it off?' shrieked Claire.

' Sweetie, thorough my past experience the phrase ' Wait and Bleed' and ' Dead Bodies Everywhere' seem all too relevant to my life' said Jill, turning into the highway. Her comment silenced the two teens in the back they sedately turned right and headed down the road.

' Well it's Ok for you guys, but I have no date for the dance' said Rebecca awkwardly twitching at her collar.

' How about the Machine expert in Alpha team? He's pretty cute' suggested Claire, going through her list of eligible men at the RPD.

' Hmm, I don't mind but I'm open to other offers' said Rebecca flicking back a lock of red hair.

' Well hon, you can't be too picky' remarked Jill, as she stopped at a red light.

'Joey Green? The dark guy with a firm ass?' asked Claire ticking off one on her list.

' He's be perfect except for he's dating that Yale Grad' replied Becky.

' Then win him away' was Claire's answer.

' No I've seen this girl. Blonde and curvy. She'll tear me a new ass' said Becky dropping her head into her hands.

' What about Carlos?' asked Jill, her voice smooth. She turned into the car lot, and parked the car. Becky looked at her. She was smirking slightly but her sunglasses hid her eyes. ' Think about what I said Becky. Think real hard' and with that they entered the mall.

' Hmmm, bow tie or plain tie?' said Chris twiddling at his collar. He stared in the mirror and reached for a bowtie. He tied it loosely around his neck, and looked at himself in the mirror. Nope, too smarmy. He untied it quickly and found a plain black tie. Perfect. He placed it on the 'Yes' rail, which was considerably emptier than the 'No' one, which seemed to overflow with rejects.

He took a look at one of the choices he had flung onto the pile. A Suede, plum coloured tux, with long tails and a silk shirt. Chris shuddered, and remembered what he had looked like in THAT. Meatloaf, eat your heart out. He was about to try on a black pair of dressy pants, when Leon stepped out of the changing room clad in Ralph Lauren from head to toe.

He stepped in front of the floor length mirror, and hit a James Bond style pose. He flicked back his blonde mop and pretended to draw a gun.

' Stick em' up!' he hollered, raising his arms. Chris tapped him on the shoulder.

' Leon, Ralph Lauren sure is good, but can your salary afford it?' He asked gently.

' No. Just acting out a little fantasy' replied Leon, sheepishly.

' Really Leon, I thought that was what you and Claire did in the infirmary' quipped Carlos, walking out of his dressing room, in complete Swede.

' Hate to tell you, but man, Meatloaf couldn't look for a better double!' chuckled Chris as an annoyed Carlos maced him with a hanger. That started off a pillow fight, if you could call a pillow fight including hangers.

' Go get it!!!!' hollered Chris as he aimed for Leon's unsuspecting ass.

' Yeowh!!!!!!!!!!' yelled a bedraggled Leon as the pointy end of the hanger caught him in rear end. Carlos finished off the fight by showing both enemies with hangers.

' Okay, you win' relented Chris as he pushed an agonised Leon off his middle. He came face to face, with the Salesgirl. The same one from the encounter, earlier that day. The pleasure of seeing Chris in a tight suit was shown on her face.

' We seem to be seeing each other a lot today, don't we?' she asked whilst dusting Chris front and back with her hands. She got extreme pleasure from the front half.

' Yeah we seem too' Chris managed to get out as he backed away a little.

' How about we do something this weekend?' she asked whilst straightening out his tie.

' Geez, you don't cut to the chase' he thought as he wildly tried to think up an excuse. Thankfully, Leon did that for him.

' Chris here is more of a man's man if you know what I mean' he said whilst nudging her with his elbow. ' You see that old man in aisle 23? Well, him and Chris are you know?' he winked at her this time. The girl looked a little startled but nodded.

' But I saw him with a red haired lady at Shooter's last weekend?' she asked, trying to grovel onto some hope.

' He was? Isn't it nice that Chris would date a woman, just to please his friends?' Leon clasped his hands. Chris turned a deeper shade of beetroot, as Leon said this. This just added more to his embarrassment. The salesgirl hustled off, in a flurry of blonde hair and pillar-box red lipstick.

' Thanks, pal, nice to know I have you in bad situations' groaned Chris. Raking his hands through his hair.

' I know your holding out on us Chris. Come on, let's do the man dance!' teased Leon, wiggling his rear end. Chris responded by shoving Leon's head into the tie rack. Carlos who had been hidden behind the jacket stand emerged.

' I think your wrong there, Leon. Chris's here is a sheep's man!' he taunted. ' Well as we seem to not be able to find anything decent here, why don't we take a break?'

' Is this your not so subtle hint for us go pick up a big box of donuts?' asked Chris.

' Well, I was aiming more for a Latte at Star Buck's' condescended Carlos.

' Why don't we try on those multi coloured lycra suits?' asked Leon, going through the clothes rack.

' Now who was the one going on about the man's man?' asked Chris.

' Look just for a little fun. We can pretend we're hippies again!' said Leon excitement coming into his blue eyes.

' Again?' asked Chris and Carlos in unison.

' This might a good feature to the prank...' said Chris thoughtfully.

' Forget I even asked' said Leon, quickly stowing the suits back on the rack.

' Let's do it for some fun' said Carlos looking at Chris for some approval.

' Okay, but if anyone sees me, I'm pretending that we're on some publicity stunt' replied Chris, pulling a neon green suit from the rack.

Rebecca Chambers sighed as she looked at herself in the mirror. Just plain old Rebecca, she thought as she stared at herself in the sleek black number she was trying on. Just as she thought that, Jill came out looking stunning in the blue satin strappy dress.

Claire sashayed out in a ' burnt bronze' strapless style dress. Rebecca stared at them enviously. She wished she looked more like them. Jill had always been built like a Greek Goddess and was blessed with startlingly blue eyes that went well with her fiery red mane.

Claire was much the same, and had a beautiful tan to go with her auburn hair, and her green eyes very much like Chris's. She turned to look in the mirror. Skinny, flat-chested, short and pasty, she thought. I'll never get a date. Maybe I should just set up my own trust fund, ' Becky Chambers: Inside every freaky geek, was an even bigger loser.

She sighed, and went back to change into her normal clothes. They met outside the changing rooms, all dressed normally.

' I'm getting the bronze one' said Claire, retying her hair into a ponytail.

' Oh my god, Claire Redfield finally decides, the tabloid must here this!' said Jill incredulously. ' I'm getting the satin one'.

They both turn to look at Becky, awaiting her decision. She twiddled her collar, and thought, if I say yes; I can go home and mope. ' Yes'.

They all go up to the cash register, and paid for their clothes.

' How about if we go to the men's' section? I need to pick up a shirt for Leon' said Claire admiring the dress she'd just bought.

' Sure. Chris could do with a few new things. I swear he lives in jeans.' Replies Jill.

Oh no, groaned Becky, more toiling.

They head over to the men's section to be met by raucous cries. Carlos, Chris and Leon dressed in lycra , neon green suits, posing in front of the mirrors, Leon started up

' It's raining men!' and Carlos and Chris joined in, almost breaking the sound barriers. All three women doubled up with laughter. The men noticed and all three turned equal shades of crimson. Jill walked up to Chris.

' Chris is there something you should be telling me? Is this men's stuff you were gonna do?' she asked, angel faced. Chris muttered something intelligible, and walked into the changing room to put on his normal clothes.

Jill barred the way, milking the moment for all it's worth. Leon however was having an even harder time with Claire.

' Leon have you bought something? Let me see.' Asked Claire opening the bag next to his feet. She pulls out the jockstrap. A joyous look crossed her face. 'So you finally took my advice?' she asked. Leon gulped.

' What advice?' he asked.

' To play more sport. I like a guy with a fit bod' said Claire playfully bumping her butt into his.

' Uh yuh...' groaned Leon, the thought of playing football with a huge group of well built men, did not rate high on his list.

It would be a repeat performance of the time, he and Sherry had played cricket, and he had somehow broke his nose, after Sherry had tested out her skills as spin bowler. Ouch. He did not know what was more embarrassing, breaking his nose, or having it broken by a 13 year old.

A thought came to him. He reached for Claire's bag. She tried to stop him, but he had beaten her. He pulled out the nearest thing he could grab.

' Claire, what is this?' he asked, whilst swinging the string like red article, to and fro in the air.

' Uhhhh, I bought it for you' she choked out, grabbing the underwear.

' Claire, do you underestimate the size of my butt?' Leon countered.

' Well I bought it to GIVE you a little fun' said Claire, batting her eyelashes. Leon grinned.

' Well we'll have fun tonight, my sugar pumpkin' he said, pulling her into a hug, before kissing her.

' Indeed we will my little neon lycra clad hippie lover' she said, excepting the kiss. She drew the both of them into the large changing and drew the curtain. The remaining group shared a joint sigh.

' Do you remember being like that? Getting it on for all to see?' asked Jill, fingering Chris' s suit.

' Sure do hon. Boy, we did have good times.' Replied Chris, taking hold of Jill's hands.

'The memory that will stay with me forever, is when Wesker and the rest of the STARs caught you getting randy in the locker room' said Rebecca remembering the scene. 'One moment you were lip locked, next thing you were landed in deep crap by Wesker'.

' Wish I could a seen it. It might of helped me get over the shock of finding Leon and Claire in the infirmary' said Carlos.

' Come on, Carlos. You must have a story' said Jill. ' The horny Spanish amigo, is hornless? That can't be true'.

' Well there was time when I was caught by Nicholai. Having a great time in his office' said Carlos, grinning at the memory.

' But, if you've been through as much as they have, then you live for the moment' said Rebecca softly.

' Depends on the age. Only, late teens do what they're doing' said Chris, listening to the strange noises coming from the changing room.

' Don't you believe it. When we had just escaped that hellish mansion, you guys were going all for it' said Rebecca. Chris and Jill, look amazed.

' Weren't you asleep?' questioned Jill.

' How could I? With that racket going on?' countered Rebecca, without batting an eye.

Before any more conflict could happen, Claire and Leon emerge from the changing room, smiling and buttoning up.

' How about we head to a bowling alley now?' asked Leon, adjusting his collar.

' Well your gonna be hungry after that workout you and Claire just had' said Jill.

' Course. He's not my Lovegod Leon for nothing' said Claire wrapping her arms around Leon.

' Don't get them started, Jill. Otherwise they'll be at it again, giving us an UNCENSORED showing' said Chris.

' Exclusive to us' said Rebecca. They group head off, partnering up, walking behind each other. Chris and Jill were having a discussion on Leon and Claire's displays of affection. Just behind Claire and Leon, were discussing their newly adopted daughter, Sherry. That left Rebecca and Carlos. They had a moment of awkward silence. Rebecca tried to break the ice a little.

' This men's stuff was just an excuse to escape to your true selves' asked Rebecca, in a reasonable attempt. Carlos grunted in reply. The two couples ahead of them continued to talk animatedly. This made Rebecca feel even more uncomfortable. It was not she found it hard to talk to Carlos, but they were really forced together.

Sure, she had nothing against him, he was adorable to look at, and had a sense of humor that made her sides spilt, and a great accent. She snuck a look, at his well-muscled thighs, his broad chest; she could see the sinewy muscles beneath his New York Brass t-shirt. She gulped and turned her head away to try forgetting the lustful thoughts that had just passed through her head.

She looked at the ground. It was probably one of her crushes, like the one she had experienced when she had first met Chris. She had daydreamed about him, and dreamt about him every night, him featuring in her steamy dreams. She turned to look at Carlos. She was surprised to find him looking at thoughtfully.

' Us gals will follow you, in Jill's car' shrieked Claire, arms around Leon's neck.

' Uhh, Claire to leave, I think you gonna have to let go of me' said a disgruntled Leon, victim to Claire's vicious embraces.

' Your riding with us! Bec can ride with Chris and Carlos' replied Claire, dragging Leon to Jill's convertible.

' Do I have any choice?' asked Bec.

' Nope. It'll save me from having to endure the Wait and Bleed' experience accompanied with Claire's excuse for singing' said Jill, swaggering off to her car. 'Besides who would complain, riding ALONE with two gorgeous studs' said Jill, escaping just out of reach of Bec's slug. Bec turned to face the men

' Guess I'm riding with you' she said embarrassedly, turning for Chris's jeep.

The gang head to the bowling alley.

Chicky sez: What do you think of this chapter? Worth continuing? What were Leon and Claire actually doing in the changing room? What's the deal with Rebecca and Carlos? Wait and see, not bleed! Love to all my fans not that I have any! Later! . And a trip to the health farm proves disastrous.


	4. Bowling for Raps

Bowling for Raps.  
  
Oops I did it again,  
I played with your heart,  
Got lost in the game,  
Oh baby, oh baby,  
Oops you think I'm in love,  
That I'm sent from above,  
I'M NOT THAT INNOCENT!  
  
Oops I did it again, By Britney Spears.  
  
' AARRRGGGH!' yelled Chris as he swerved to dodge Jill's convertible that veered out in front of him dangerously. Jill was driving ahead of him, trying to concentrate whilst driving full speed on the freeway enduring yet again ' The Wait and Bleed' experience and trying to ignore the activities of the couple behind her. Chris could only see Leon and Claire's legs but when Leon had sat up and turned around, the colour of Claire's fuchsia lipstick was smudged all over his face and his chest. He tried to steer his mind away from where else it was probably smudged too… Ughh. Chris turned his attention to the people sitting behind him. There had been silence for the whole journey, with the occasional cough. The radio blared on, seemingly loud in the still atmosphere. Oops I did it again… sung the Teen queen to the recurring beat, her voice reaching higher levels… he had no idea why she was so popular. He wasn't a fan of pop music having grown up liking the Smashing Pumpkins and attending Red Hot Chilli Peppers concerts, but the concept mystified him. The tunes had no soul, no groove and only a trace of funk. But still they brought in the millions. Chris switched the radio off. There was complete silence now. Bec's eyes were focused on her feet, and Carlos was ogling a girl in a magazine. Chris tried to get some form of conversation going.  
' So who are you taking to the dance?' he asked. No reply. Bec was studying her nails, Carlos turned the page and had his eyes fixed on a curvy blonde girl. Chris shrugged and wondered what was up. As far as he was concerned, all of the team were close friends and enjoyed each other's company, but theses two couldn't be more different. Carlos's outgoing, rash personality clashed with Bec's sweet, retiring one. Bec could talk for Britain if anyone gave her the chance. Chris shook his head puzzedley and turned into the bowling alley. Jill and her crew had already arrived and were talking happily, Claire buttoning Leon's shirt and wiping off lipstick marks with a tissue.  
'I think we can fit in one game in then head home for dinner' said Jill, checking her watch.  
' Yeah, we have a massive day tomorrow' said Chris.  
They head into the bowling alley and go to pay for a lane.  
' One lane please' asked Chris.  
' Oh it's you again!' said the girl at the desk. Chris looked at her closely and recognised her as the salesgirl from the mall. Damn.  
' Well we seem to seeing each other a lot today!' she said brightly. Jill cocks up an eyebrow and continues to listen.  
' So after my shift do you want to go get some dinner?' she asked.  
' Sorry, I've got a big day at the RPD tomorrow' replied Chris fiddling with his collar.  
' Oh, but we can play good cop, bad cop' she said fluttering her eyelashes.   
  
' Sorry but Chris's already booked up tonight. He's arranged to play THE game of good cop, bad cop. The one to end ALL' said Leon winking. The girl shrugs, realising she has been shot down was about to walk off, when Claire took it into her head to stir things up.  
' Chris here is my brother. He's not really gay, but he's gay at heart. Catch him on a Saturday in his fish net tights and eye make up' said Claire flipping back her auburn hair.  
' Does this kind of thing run in the family?' asked the girl.  
' Sure does, but in my family, Saturday is the day of love' said Carlos, pouting his lips.  
' Really? Well in my family we were told to stay away from stereotypical Spanish men who have a brain the size of there penis and an ego 1 million times the size of that' said the girl.  
' If the thinking cap fits, put it on your penis' quipped Claire.   
' I think that Chris has his own say in his sexuality' said Bec pointedly staring at Claire who scowled at her.  
' Yeah in fact I do. I'm-   
Started Chris before Jill suddenly pulled him into a passionate kiss, summing it all up in one action.  
' If you were taken you could have told me' said the girl simply, knowing full well that she didn't mean it. 'One lane, go and get your shoes'.  
They switch over to the adjacent counter. The team receive their bowling shoes.  
' What was that all about' asked Chris, tying a knot in his gaudy bowling shoes.  
' Sorry but the whole scene was really annoying me. I just got fed up and ended it all' said Jill giving her shoes a final tug and standing up.  
' Thanks. But on another subject, what's up with Bec? She's been so quiet' asked Chris looking at the poker faced red head who was adjusting her shoes.  
' She's been a little withdrawn lately. She'll be fine' said Jill, reaching for Chris's hand. Leon came traipsing out in his bowling shoes, enormous compared to the rest of his body, arm around Claire. Carlos was about to pull on his left shoe when he felt an ominous crackle as he placed his toes in, he shoved the shoe back on and suddenly dropped it and yelped in pain, dropping the shoe. Picking up the shoe, his shook it out and found it was full of popcorn. Carlos angrily faced the group, which had by now dissolved into mirth.  
' All right, who's the joker? They're going to feel the brunt of my iron Spanish fist for pulling this on me' he said threateningly the group, who's laughter increased at the sight of Carlos's adorable face screwed into a scowl. Bec felt her insides melt a little.   
' Damn, he looks so cute when he's all fired up, his cheeks reddened slightly underneath his glowing olive skin' she thought.   
Carlos frowned and the group fell silent except from the occasional twitters from Claire.  
' Uh, it was me. Just getting you back for that thing you were doing to Chris' said Bec lamely, twitching at her bandana, seriously regretting the action. Carlos regarded her out of his brown eyes and moved onto the lane the others followed them. Bec trailed behind, groaning over the past events.  
' Jeez girl, you get crushes on the most unobtainable men. You are waaaay to nerdy for that horny Spanish Amigo. Stick to the spotty, greasy haired cyber geeks you formerly ' Dated' if you could call looking at bug collections dating….' She thought. Jill vigorously shaking her shoulder crudely brought her back to reality.  
' Oh shit!' she thought. She had been standing there blankly with her mouth open and her eyes shut in her little world, the land of Becky Chambers where she remained unmarried, untouched for all of her pathetic nerdy life.  
' Erm Bec? Are you in there? We've chosen teams. You're with Claire and Carlos. Go it?' asked Chris looking at her with penetrating green eyes, that she dreamed about, in one of her mindless crushes. She cleared her throat to try and mutter back an affirmative.  
' Sure. Let's play ball, I mean ball the bowl, I mean… Uh sorry' she feebly countered, under the interested stares of the group. She shuffled down to her side of the lane and sat down waiting for her turn. Claire and Leon were up first, and she so she was seated next to her crush that she'd earlier embarrassed. Carlos entertained her by grunting in an animal manner. Charming. Leon and Claire go for the bowl.  
' Come on Love God show me what you got' taunted Claire from the other side. She casually lifted the heaviest ball, the purple one up as if it hardly weighed anything. Leon followed suit, he lifted the ball and felt his muscles strain.  
'Ok, just a little more…' he thought. His arms suddenly gave way and swayed, causing great pain down below, and he dropped the ball hard on his foot.   
' Yeowhhhhhhhhhh!!!!' yelped Leon, hopping up and down, then wincing as the action increased the burning feeling down below.  
' Oh Leon? Are you all right?' asked Claire dropping the ball she was holding.  
' Yeooooooooowwwwwwwwhhhh!' yelped Claire identically as the ball made contact with her foot, then she critically examined her hand.  
' DAMN!!' shrieked Claire.  
' Have you broke your finger or something?' asked Chris, all concerned.  
' NO! I broke a damn nail!!!!!!!!!!' screams Claire, her faced twisted into an agonised scowl as she stared critically at the ripped off nail. She suddenly became aware of the throbbing in her foot, and dropped down onto a seat. Leon continued to grope around. Carlos got up to help him.  
' Hey dude. What hurts?' he asked Leon, supporting him.  
' Down below…' choked out Leon whilst stumbling across to a seat. Carlos clicked his fingers and his face lit up mischievously.  
' Dude, you've strained your groin muscle. Nicholai did that whilst lifting the ammo cache and his face turned the colour of boiled puce and he pretended that it was nothing, though he ended up walking like a demented chicken' replied Carlos, smacking Leon on the back, causing him to stumble and groan.  
' Hey can't we do something without getting hurt?' asked Jill, gesturing at Claire and Leon who were reclining on the seats, moaning at recurring intervals.  
' Uh, if I go to the little girls room and look at my foot, and get it seen too, then I'll come back' said Claire feebly.  
' Sure. If you got it seen to here, then we might die of the intoxicating smell' said Carlos, receiving a punch to the groin from Claire. He sat down next to Leon, and groaned with him.  
' Two down, one to go. Dear brother?' asked Claire menacingly, eyes, twinkling.  
' Uh, I think I'll get Leon seen to' replied Chris shrinking back from his little sister's fist. He pulls Leon to his feet, and helps him hobble to the men's room.  
' Where did ya' learn that? I can't even persuade him to do the dishes once in a while' asked Jill, staring at the men who disappeared into the bathroom.  
' Tribal instinct.' Replied Claire.  
' Yeah. If she doesn't get her way, then she dresses up in beads and body paint. One look at that and he'll do anything to stop her!' said Carlos, dodging another one of Claire's punches. Jill quickly grabs hold of Claire and hustles her to the lady's room, deflecting another Claire-the-biker-girl Vs Carlos-Spanish-amigo showdown. Carlos is left with Bec, who is staring at her feet.  
' Do you have some strange obsession with you feet of something' asked Carlos, nudging Bec.  
' Uh, no. I'm obsessed with my hair' replied Bec, looking up.  
' Thought so. Remember the time when you dyed your hair blonde?' asked Carlos.  
' Don't remind me!' said Bec emphatically.  
' Your scalp went red and dry and you looked like a sun dried tomato!' said Carlos.  
' Thankfully I wasn't so stupid to dye it permanently' said Bec. ' Sorry about earlier'.  
' S'alright. I guess I was being kinda ornery.' Said Carlos embarrassedly running his hand through his hair, causing a lump in Bec's throat and other body parts.  
' I've noticed a change in your moods. What's up?' she asked, whilst staring at him out of her grey eyes.  
' Well it's the dance next week. Can't get a date' said Carlos. Bec's eyes widen in surprise and she doubles over with laughter. Carlos backs away a little as tears of laughter run down Bec's face.  
' Excuse, what is the prospect of me arriving alone and lonely at the dance while my friends are dancing with their babelicious girlfriends?' asked Carlos. Bec regains control and sits up straight.  
' It's just hard to imagine you without a date. When you first joined STARs we practically had to have buckets to collect the drool amounting from the female officers who also just so casually fixed their gaze on your rear end and practically fainted when you talked to them' said Bec, staring to giggle.' Also I didn't know you'd describe Claire OR Jill as babe- what- you -call- it'. Carlos shrugs, and turns away as if Bec has touched a nerve.  
' The reason is that I can't find a date. It's that I'm nearing 22, and I want to settle down a little, lessen the number of times that I wake up in the morning, with no recollection of the night before' said Carlos, looking deep into Bec's eyes, making her melt a little.   
' Aww Carlos. Bring on the pipe and slippers' said Bec.   
' I knew I shouldn't have tried telling that to a teenager' said Carlos getting up, frowning. Bec stands and stops him, her expression soft.  
' Sorry. I have irritable human syndrome today which make me tactless' said Bec, looking at him attentively, batting her eyelashes unconsciously.  
' She's kinda cute when she does that. She's changed, no longer the child but a beautiful young woman, flying free as a dove' thought Carlos as Bec's face softened cutley and her lips tugged up into a grin. Carlos sat back down.  
' Am I the one to refer you to the pre menstrual hall of fame?' he asked teasingly.   
'Not before you enter the immaturity exhibit' replied Bec, smiling.  
' Ok, head of the pre menstrual hall of fame. Name one babe who wouldn't mind going to the dance with me?' asked Carlos.  
' How about Tessa? Or Zoë and Liz is pretty cute' said Bec without batting an eye.  
' Who are they?' asked Carlos curiously.  
' Tessa is tan with black patches. Zoë has long legs and Liz has a white patch over one eye' said Bec.  
' Very funny, canines are excluded from this question' said Carlos jokingly.  
' Ok. I'll name one though she doesn't quite fit the babe category' said Bec, looking at Carlos cheeks reddening. Carlos cocks up an eyebrow.  
'Me.'  
  
Bec turned away and fiddled with her bandana, tears pricking at her eyelids, she swiped at them furiously, willing to stop them. Carlos sees the motions and gently touches her shoulder making her body quiver slightly. He persists and turns her around to face him, softly stroking her hands.  
' I think she fits into the babe category' he claimed, smiling at her and squeezing her hands. A million thoughts ran through her head.  
' My god, he's stroking my hands… his eyes are like garnets… maybe I'm not going to be destined to live in geek land…' she thought, Carlos brushed back a lock of red hair and stroked her cheeks…  
' HEY! I didn't strain my groin!!!! It's just pulled a little!' yelled a joyous Leon flopping back on the seat next to Carlos. Carlos quickly pulls back his hands and scratches the back of his head. Bec feels her cheeks going a shade of crimson, whilst the colour DRAINED from Carlos's.  
' Becky, you look a little flushed. Are you coming down with something?' asked Chris squeezing her hands.  
' No I'm fine. Maybe a little hot' said Bec.   
' Whoa. TWO cute guys touching my hands, Maybe the spell is being broken' thought Bec happily, as Claire and Jill rejoined them, Claire limping slightly.  
' Howz the foot?' asked Chris.  
' It's a little sore. Luckily Jill had a nail file so I repaired what's left of my nail' said Claire sitting down carefully.  
' Nail? More like talons!' hissed Jill, regarding the sharp blood red nails.  
' Enough gassing! Let's bowl!' yelled Bec, eyes shining. Chris smiled seeing her back to her normal, cheerful self. They resumed bowling, Chris and Carlos rivalling for strikes, Jill keeping scores and dodging gutter balls. Claire and Leon made gallant attempts by bowling half strikes and sending down 4 balls at once. Bec groaned as the ball slid down the edge and rolled down, hitting nothing.  
' My arms are about as strong as limp spaghetti!' she wailed, as her scores remained nil.  
' It's not all about strength. Come here and I'll help you' said Carlos, pulling her up onto the bowling floor. He picked up a medium weight ball and handed it to her.  
' Hold it like this' he said, taking her hand and positioning it. He continued the tutorial.   
' Ooh look at Bec and Carlos' said Claire intently watching them.  
' Now I know why she's cheered up all of a sudden' said Chris as Carlos gave tips about posture. Bec's eyes were positively glowing as Carlos demonstrated bowling techniques.  
' Well if it makes her happy' said Jill, studying the scores.  
' And it gets him off your back' said Chris, putting his arms around her.   
Carlos finished his tips and stood back to let her bowl. Bec lined herself up and bowled. The ball clattered down the alley and made a loud crash as it made contact with the pins.  
' STRIKE!' shrieked Bec happily, Carlos punched the air and pulled her up into an impulsive hug. Bec relaxed slightly against his chest, her chin resting on his chest. The group behind shared a contented sigh. Bec heard this and pulled away, stepping down, back to her seat, cheeks even brighter than before. Carlos smiled and pushed back a strand of hair and sat down.  
' Ok! The scores are: 1st Carlos and Chris tie, 3rd Claire, 4th me, 5th Leon and 6th Bec.' Said Jill.  
'Cool. Howz about a round of sodas?' asked Chris, checking his watch.  
' Lead the Way' said Jill, taking his hands. Claire and Leon limp after them, involuntarily clutching each other at intervals to gain balance. Carlos takes Bec's hand and together, they follow the others to the bar. From the moment Carlos took her hand, she felt like there was a spark between them, she looked down at the place where their bodies were joined and felt her body shiver, Carlos squeezed her hand softly making her feel lighter than before.   
' Six Shandys please' ordered Chris, pulling out his wallet.  
' Wait Chris, winners split the cost' said Carlos, pulling out a wallet and peeling off some notes. They paid and brought the drinks over to their table.  
' So what's happening tomorrow?' asked Claire, taking a long sip put of her shady, savouring the bittersweet taste.  
' Training. You're all running 3 miles, plus cardiovascular work' replied Chris, tilting his head back and draining away the last of his shandy.  
' Where'd you learn to drink like that?' asked Bec, as the shandy disappeared in less than five seconds.  
' Yeah. If I drink that fast it bubbles up and comes out the other way in a poisonous explosion' quipped Leon, taking a sip of his handy and belching loudly.  
' Or it comes out that way' said Jill, disgustedly looking at Leon and taking a swig of hers.  
' Being in the USAF we played a lot of drinking games. It now takes me a lot to get drunk' he replied.  
' We did too when I trained as a cadet. But more often than not, I'd end up semi naked in some street the next morning' said Leon.   
' Thank God I wasn't here see that' said Carlos, eyeing Leon.  
' True. Finding him and Claire in the infirmary, was pretty high on the rector scale' quipped Bec, receiving a kick from Claire.   
' I do not exactly want to bring up the topic of drunk and disorderly' said Jill curtly, finishing off her drink.  
' I remember now! It was at the RPD dance before the mansion, and Jill had got drunk and played dares with Forest and Joseph!' said Chris sitting up.  
' Go on' said Claire, evilly narrowing her eyes at Jill, who shrunk away.  
' She was dared to smack Wesker's butt. And she did!' said Bec, triumphantly raising her glass. ' I propose a toast. To the ecstasy of drinking and it's powers!!' shrieked Bec. The glasses clinked together.  
' Let's not forget the time Claire got drunk' began Jill.  
' What time? She gets pissed on a regular basis' said Carlos, receiving a kick from Claire. The talk turns to the most outrageous things they have done whilst under the influence of drinks. Bec sits back and sighs happily, a horrendous day shaping up to an unforgettable one, and with an incredible guy to share it with. She regarded Carlos, watching the purposeful lines of his face, the way he used his hands to make gestures and his penetrating brown eyes. Life was peachy. The talk had now moved onto the RPD dance.  
' We searched the entire vicinity of two malls and still couldn't find a thing' said Jill.  
' So we went to another mall, stepped into the first clothes shop we saw, and bingo we found the perfect dresses' said Claire, slurping away at her shandy.  
' And Claire made an entire tour of all the lingerie shops' concluded Jill. ' She eventually settled for a piece of string, which she called underwear'.  
' Jill do you really think that I want to talk about the kind of underwear my sister wears?' asked Chris, his eyes pleading. ' I only just recovered from finding out what the stains on the infirmary sheets were'.  
' Oh look at the time, we better be going, got an early start tomorrow!' Leon quickly said, whilst dragging Claire to her feet, and wincing as a stab of pain seared up through him.  
' Leon's escape excuse!' quipped Jill, rising from her seat. ' I'll drive you two home, but I don't want that hanky-panky thing going on in the backseat again. I fear for my car's backseat fabric'.  
' That's fine with us. Besides, I think that slightest movement using that part of my body would induce more pain than one of Claire's knee-to-the-crown-jewel-area' said Leon.  
' Bec and Carlos can ride with me. I think I can trust them not to do this 'hanky panky' Or can I?' said Chris, raising his eyebrows at them, and giving them a knowing look. The gang head home.  
  
Chicky sez!: hey y'all! Well I'm looking for reviews here to decide the fate of this fic: trash can or continue? Later! I'm not really a fan of Britney, but I have nothing against her, OK?   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	5. A Day at the RPD

A Day at the RPD.  
  
If at first you don't succeed,  
You can dust it off and try again,  
Dust yourself off and Try again,  
Try again….  
  
Try Again, By Aliyah.  
  
' Bec, why are you wearing so many layers? It's meant to be summer!' said Carlos, as he sat down next to he sat down next to her on the couch. After the bowling, both of them had decided to stop round Bec's house and have some coffee. It was well past midnight, and though they had a 5am start the next morning neither of them had even cast an eye to the clock on the mantle piece.   
  
Bec was surprised to find talking to Carlos was so easy. He had always appeared to her as being a puffed up vanity case, always pining for some girl, and stocking up on playboy once a week. But the Carlos who was sitting next to her now, was a just a normal, sweet, funny guy. The hours ticked on, nearing 2am, the coffees on the small table were cold and the sun was beginning to rise. Bec suddenly noticed the time.  
' Carlos! Look at the time! We're meant to be up at 5am!' she shrieked as the rays of sunlight, shone through the window, casting a marigold hue over Carlos's well crafted face.  
' What better a time for me to do this, then' he said, leaning towards her, caressing her red hair, he slowly brushed his lips against hers, and Bec felt a shiver go down her spine. She began kissing him back, with more urgency, until she was lying on her back, and Carlos was on top, his hands travelling down her body. Bec felt like her lips were melting into his, until they were joined. She opened her eyes, only to come face to face with Wesker.  
' Oh I am the lady-killer, aren't I Chambers?' he asked, before placing another brutal kiss on her lips, Bec tried to force him back, but his strength was greater then hers, and his poisonous lips continued to go over hers, until-  
' ARRRRRRRRGGGHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!' screamed Bec, opening her eyes quickly, and sweating heavily, her breathing fast. She lay still for a while, allowing herself to calm down and adjust her breathing. She was then faced with another dilemma: she had no idea where she was. She tried shifting into another position but felt a stab of pain travel up her back there was a strange weight bearing down on her chest, and she involuntarily struggled, thinking that it was the disgusting apparition that was Wesker.   
She somehow managed stand up and turn the light on. The light bulb flickered, and came on, shedding light on the situation. Bec's eyes adjusted to the light, and what she saw made Bec chuckle. She had rolled off the bed, pulling down her huge teddy bear down on top of her, which had simulated 'Wesker'. Still Bec toiled to the bathroom, brushed her teeth 4 times, gargled 6 times and flossed, to rid the memory of Wesker kissing her. She peered at the clock, which read 4am. It was time to get up and get ready for training today. Sliding out of her clothes and stepping into the shower, she began her morning rituals.   
  
Carlos leapt from his bed as soon as the alarm clock went off. Quickly straightening the sheets, whilst whistling, he walked to the window, and opened it gently, letting the fresh air into his room. He cast a look at himself in the mirror, his eyes bright, cheeks flushed. It was a big change from the morning before, and he knew the reason why. He had had a steamy dream about Bec. She had been at the dance, and was slow dancing with him, to a slow ballad, and at the end, he had kissed her, his dam of love bursting. Carlos grinned, and walked into the bathroom, his mind full of Bec: her soft grey eyes, her vibrant red hair and girlish figure. He had never really noticed her before, having been deeply infatuated with the goddess he knew as Jill, but he had discovered her yesterday. Their comfortable talk turning to intimate, when she had told him how she felt. Carlos, set the shower, and shrugged himself out of his clothes. Yes, things were definitely looking up.   
  
Jill stepped out of the shower and towelled off. The smell of bacon and eggs was floating up from downstairs, indicating that Chris had started breakfast. Jill wound her hair up in the towel, and got dressed. She removed the towel from her head and combed her red hair, just as she was finishing, there was a shout from downstairs.  
' Jill! Breakfast!' shouted Chris from the bottom of the stairs. Jill hitched up her combats, and ran downstairs. Chris was dishing up the breakfast, his brow furrowed in concentration, jaw set at an angle. Jill rummaged in the Starbuck's carrier bag, and fished out a vanilla cappuccino. Whilst sipping the hot drink, Chris briefed her on the schedule for today.  
  
' I was thinking you could take physical training and I'll take the shooting range' he said, loading up Jill's plate with bacon, eggs and toast. Jill curled her lip in distaste at the oily mass on her plate, but dug in all the same.  
' Even though with my Abs of Steel I could easily take physical training' said Chris striking a muscle pose. Jill cocked up and eyebrow.  
' More like Abs of mush' she said cheekily, her eyes wide as she chewed busily on her fried egg. Chris reached out of the window and plucked out a red rose, and handed it to her. Jill's cheeks redden as she accepts the flower.   
'Oh Redfield, flattery won't get you anywhere' she said, stroking the soft petals.  
' Jillian watch it, your cheeks are going as red as the rose' quipped Chris, grinning at her before delving into his breakfast.  
' Ok, they ARE Abs of Mush. But then again, their my Abs of Mush' she said, taking a slurp out of Vanilla Cappuccino and picking up the newspaper. ' But then again it is hard to take you seriously when you're wearing that flowery apron'. Chris quickly stood up and removed it quickly.  
' I know. Flower patterns are just sooo yesterday' he said as he sat down at the table.  
' Too true, I mean polka dotted would suit you more' said Jill, laughing slightly. Both turn to their breakfasts, Chris eating efficiently thinking of the training course and weighing up the merits of the recruits, Jill picked at her food and glanced intermittently at the newspaper. There was the quiet clink of cutlery and the wind blowing outside, when Jill let out a snort of laughter. Chris looked up perplexedly and gave Jill his shut-up-your-interrupting-my-work look, his face screwed up into an adorable frown. Jill twittered and looked up at Chris who gave her a strange look.   
' Chris I was just laughing at this article. Apparently this man rang up the RPD scared   
that he had broken a law' she said, trying to keep a straight face.  
' And?' asked Chris in a bored voice, his lips puckered up.  
' The law was ' He had had sex with a live fish and he was under 16' cackled Jill.   
Chris's eyebrows rose higher and his lips puckered even more, as his jaw set at an angle.  
' Personally, the thought of that man having sex with a live fish makes me so scared that I could defeat three tyrants and face Leon when he's drunk, besides, is that actually a law?' he stated, his face getting even more taunt.  
' It IS a law, Chris. But a pretty dang dumb one' chuckled Jill, brushing back her hair.  
Chris's face remained poker straight.  
' Ain't you gonna smile at all? Your face looks like a slapped fish' said Jill tersely, scowling at the snub. Chris finally broke into a smile and responded quickly.  
' I guess Leon's out of his favourite past time then' he said, chuckling.   
' Much better, Redfield' she said approvingly, standing up and taking hers and Chris's plate to the sink, Chris searched for the car keys and pulled on his old leather jacket.   
  
Jill stacked the clean plates, and pulled on her tight denim jacket, she glance at the clock, it was only 4:20 am. She flopped onto the chair opposite Chris and studied her nails; she looked up to find Chris staring at her.  
' What?' she asked, with a flicker of annoyance.   
' Just that you look foxy in your tight uniform' he responded with giving her a Redfield Stare that made her heart melt.   
' Hey remember the time I had spent the night round your house? And in the morning when we got changed for work, I accidentally put on your jeans?' she giggled.  
' Boy do I. We were doing physical training and I bent over and they ripped, revealing my far from fetching boxer shorts' chuckled Chris.  
' Well apart from the fact that you were the laughing stock of the RPD for days, some people enjoyed that view' said Jill coyly, looking at her feet.  
' Oh yeah?' asked Chris, touching one of her hands and giving her the puppy dog look that made her heart melt.  
' I was talking about Bec. You ripped my favourite pair of Pepe jeans' retorted Jill, trying to hide her red cheeks. Chris looked her disbelievingly and shrugged.   
' But what can be more funny when you stood up to give your speech on the rising numbers in vandalism, and your jeans fell down?' asked Chris.  
' Yeah and I just so happened on that day to be wearing my most sauciest pair of underwear' groaned Jill, head in hands.  
' All in all, it was a pleasing day for both of us' quipped Chris, succeeding in getting his arms around her.   
' Jill your way too good for me, way too good' he said tenderly, stroking her cheeks.  
' I know' replied the ever-humble Jill, kissing his cheek and standing up.  
  
' Leon hurry up!' screamed Claire from the bottom of the stairs. Leon Kennedy slowly hobbled down the stairs pulling his STARs shirt over his head.   
' Come on, we'll be late for the training session' screeched Claire, pulling Leon to the car.  
' Claire did it ever strike you that, I might be a little sore from yesterday?' asked Leon, as he slid into the front seat, belting himself in. He grimaced when Claire revved up the engine, and threw the car into reverse.   
It lurched back and she rocketed out of the driveway and onto the road, Claire bore a startling resemblance to a rally driver, as she pumped the gears. Leon locked his fingers around the edge of the seat and held on desperately, as Claire took the corners suddenly. A car hooted at them, as Claire proceeded to take the corners without using her indicators.   
' Claire how did you get your licence? Did you like, drug the instructor or something' said Leon, righting himself as he was jerked from his seat.  
' Oh I passed it right enough' replied Claire, as they stopped at a red light, whilst she quickly checked her hair in the mirror. ' What I don't get Kennedy is how you became such a good actor'.  
' Actor?' asked Leon, clear blue eyes nonplussed.  
' Yesterday in the mall, you sounded too good!' cackled Claire as she turned up the radio, experiencing yet again, the Wait and Bleed experience.  
' Well my dear Claire, I just imagined what it felt like when you seduced me wearing nothing but Victoria's Secret and the added caution that if we were caught only added more to my passion' said Leon, winking at Claire who turned up the music, till Leon's head started to spin.  
' Well that wasn't as good as the real thing though' said Claire devilishly, narrowing her eyes down to slits.  
' Sorry, but your gonna have to wait for about week' grimaced Leon, as he carefully rearranged his legs, wincing as a stab pain gripped him.  
' Hmm. To think we went through all that crap and Carlos and Bec end up doing it for themselves' groaned Claire as her sore foot pumped on the accelerator. They finally arrived at the RPD quickly parked the car, or as Leon would have put it, crashed the car and then ran straight to the STARs office.   
Leon's heart skipped as he neared the door, hearing Chris's deep voice giving out a briefing for the work this morning. Claire threw open the door and they hurtled to their seats, panting. At their sudden entrance Chris had raised his eyebrows, but continued to speak.  
' First we're doing physical training in preparation for the fitness test next week' said Chris, in his deep calm tones. At the mention of the dreaded fitness test, there was a barrage of groans. Chris smirked slightly; he got a real kick out of seeing the team squirm. Ahh, the privileges of being a captain, those backbreaking years at the USAF finally pay off. Plus, he got to see Jill all hot and sweaty in her tight uniform, which was an added bonus. Leon Kennedy asking him a question brought Chris back to reality.  
' Uh, Captain? I'm not sure if I'm going to be able to participate in physical training today…' croaked Leon, as the team stared at him curiously.   
' Leon, stay here and finish those reports on the Smyth Case. I want the reports on my desk by lunchtime' answered Chris, unconcernedly rifling through his papers. Claire quickly raised a gloved hand. Chris called upon her.  
' Captain, I feel that I may not be able to participate either' she stuttered as the team turned their gaze to her.  
' The guns need a deep clean out, and a polish up' answered Chris, deliberately setting her job, which would not leave her and Leon alone together. He was still under the deep shock at finding out what the stains on the infirmary sheets were.   
' Physical training carries on till lunch, when after a short break, it's shooting practise. Standard Berettas to be used, nothing heavy duty, please' said Chris.   
He cast a look to the breathless pair at the back of the room. ' OK all out onto the training course'. He left the room and headed to the lockers to change into his training gear. The other members of the team followed, chatting, bustling and boasting about how lucky they'd got that weekend. Leon turned on his laptop and laboriously started typing up the report; periodically stopping to sip out of the coffee Claire had just brought him. It was nowhere as good as Starbuck's, but at least it was hot. He took a final sip and resumed his typing.   
  
Claire grimaced. Her foot was killing her. She limped to the weapon's room and leaned against the wall, beads of perspiration pouring down her brow, her chest heaving slightly. A rookie cop sauntered past her, all big muscles, small mind. He stopped and gave her what passed as his most seductive smile, but bore an uncanny resemblance to a tiger, grinning at it's prey. Charming. He passed by her, just brushing against her, a little too close. Claire stumbled a little trying to keep her balance, but with no avail. She fell heavily to the floor, landing hard on her rear end. The cop carried on walking past her, only alerted by Claire's animal like grunt.  
He turned around to see her sprawled out on the floor, and with many apologies and 'casual' dusting offs, he helped her up and disappeared around the corner. Jerk.  
  
Claire pulled her ring of keys out and unlocked the weapon's room. She stepped in inhaling, the musty air of the room. She pulled down the Berettas that would be used today, and began cleaning out the barrels. She worked hard on the inside of it, dabbing the cloth with more cleaner and scrubbing hard at the shards of bullets left inside. She put down the gun, and picked up a soft cloth to polish the outside, when she felt a stab of pain in her stomach. She stood up carefully, and started to polish to the gun, but within seconds she had doubled over and blacked out on the floor, her head spinning and her vision blurred, the contents of the room seeming to spin, Claire shuddered and dropped her head back.  
  
' Run! Run! Run!' shouted Jill, as she and the rest of the team pounded along the trail. Bec sighed and tried to keep up with the team, as they ran along the endless training course. They rounded a corner and thrashed through a muddy pit. Bec fought her way through as the mud clung to her legs, acting like suction cups.   
  
She stopped briefly and caught her breath and then continued to toil along the merciless path. Jill was up front, leading the team, looking cool and beautiful in a natural way, her head held up, blue eyes scanning the horizon as she led the team on a new path. Chris was next to her, jogging lightly, taking it all in his stride.   
  
Barry was just behind them, his powerful legs propelling him forward, as they ran up a hillside. Carlos was on Jill's tail; sweat pouring off his finely chiselled face, his face slightly red under his shiny skin. Bec's eyes travelled along his energetic form, taking in the broad chest, defined biceps, tapering down to a well-formed torso, which was attached to an equally hunky pair of strong legs, that were thundering along a beaten path. Her eyes rested on his rear end, which was covered in a tight pair of combats. She envisioned taking off those combats, Carlos taking off hers as they delved into passion, her mounted on a tabletop… Bec gulped and tried to recollect her thoughts but she couldn't keep her eyes off his… Bec's legs suddenly disappeared from under her; the ground rose to meet her and the taste of mud was in her mouth.   
  
A small trickle of blood ran down the side of her face. The team ran on without her, Bec flailed her legs quickly and dragged herself up, she sprinted and caught up with the team, who had fortunately not noticed the embarrassing display of her ogling Carlos's divine ass, then tripping over a rock and falling face first in a pile of mud. Jill ran on like a woman possessed, leading them through an oak grove, doubling back and up again. Bec swiped at the small trickle of blood down her face, and grimaced as the sweat poured down her face. Jill swerved and took them round a corner, where before them lay a sea of mud and a treacherous path. This was going to be a long run.  
  
Barry breathed deeply and threw his chest forward, stretching out his neck and propelling his fast legs. He kept his eyes on Jill, who was directing them through the cross-country course. Jill suddenly dodged a small boulder lying in the path and led them across a hill ridge. Jill's dodges were always abrupt and somewhat dramatic from earlier life experiences. From having to dodge from a blow that could easily pound your head, a blow that could easily take your life. Jill dropped to a jog and brushed a bang of red hair from her eyes. Chris was jogging beside him, looking youthful and boyish in a pair of baggy workout shorts, spiky hair slick with sweat. Carlos was trotting behind Jill, bearing a starling resemblance to a dog at its master's heels. Carlos pumped his arms along in time with his legs, eyes fixed on the ground below, watching for precipes in the path. Bec trailed behind them, cheeks red with exertion and legs mud caked. Barry managed a slight chuckle in between his heaving breathing. Out of the corner of his eye he had seen Bec loping behind them, her eyes fixed on Carlos's rear end that was a hit with all the women. However due to her close examination of Carlos from behind, she had not concentrated on the craggy path and had fallen head over heels in a particularly deep pile of mud.  
  
Nobody had seemed to notice though, except Barry who had been mudded from her fall. This had confirmed every thought he had had in his mind. Barry took another deep breath and threw his chest forward.  
  
Claire sat up and rubbed her head. There was a small bump forming on her forehead. She groggily pulled herself up into sitting position and groaned. Claire rubbed her eyes and stood up, dusting herself down. It was the 2nd time this week she had fainted. She lumbered over to the dingy mirror and looked at herself. Her skin was pale under the deep tan, and her eyes seemed sunken.   
Claire splashed water on her face from the pump and set back to work. Her stomach felt a little heavy and she had put on a little weight. A wave of nausea washed over her and she sprinted to the bathroom and vomited more than she had when she had smelt the rancid stench of a zombie. She freshened herself up a little and went back to the weapon's room managed to struggle through the cleaning.   
The clock showed it was lunchtime so she trudged back to the office, where everyone was already, sitting on desks and chatting. The homely types were reading the newspaper and eating there homely brown-bagged lunches at the back of the room. The dedicated types were working through their lunch break, finishing reports and completing files, only pausing to drink from their water bottles. The burnouts were stuffing their pockets with crack. The slackers were at the front of the room, feasting on a Chinese take away, laughing and joking, and generally slacking off. Claire went and joined the slackers.   
  
She slid into her normal place, Chris's desk and tried to blend in with the background. Carlos was turning on the good' ole Spanish charm on Bec, who was lapping it up. Jill was scrutinising a lady in a magazine, who was modelling a leather bikini. Leon was joking around and shovelling noodles into his trap, bangs of brown hair flapping around, his face boyish. Chris was sitting at his desk pretending he was above all this, but secretly giving in. The burnouts sauntered out of the room, well, to burn out. Just a normal day at the RPD.  
' Those can't be real' commented Jill, looking at the lady. Carlos peeked over her shoulder and grinned.  
' Well compared to yours, senorita, they MUST be fake' joked Carlos, nudging Jill.  
Bec leaned over and took a look too. Her small nose wrinkled up in distaste.  
' I could easily by a chest like that at my friendly local plastic surgeon's' she quipped, scooping a spoonful of noodles into her mouth and chewing busily.  
' Please don't. Fakes are so gross' pleaded Jill, turning the page. Claire let out a low groan. The air was really getting to her, the smell of Chinese, barrel cleaner and something that she couldn't quite place. She wandered over to the window and thrust it open, letting in a blast of fresh air. The leaned her head out and took gulps of air, clearing her lungs. She couldn't figure out why she was feeling so ill, though the answer was nagging her at the back of her head. She turned back to the group who were discussing the dance, which was rapidly approaching.  
' Leon's got a little trick up his sleeve that'll wow, amaze, and frighten you' said Carlos mysteriously, eyes shining with devilment. He grinned wickedly at Leon who shuddered under his gaze. Leon gulped and looked at the group who were staring at him expectantly.   
' Uh, pass the chicken please' he said feebly, lowering his head not daring to meet their gaze. Jill raised an eyebrow but handed the container to him. Leon felt their eyes on him, as he took a small portion. He cleared his throat.  
' If I told you, it wouldn't be a surprise' he choked out. The group frowned. Clearly nobody was buying it. Bec opened her mouth to retort, but Chris yelling stopped her.  
' Enough goofing off, back to work' he yelled to the team. Claire picked up the wrappers and containers of their lunch dumped it in the garbage can.   
The burnouts came back from burning out, with the bloodshot eyes to prove it. Dedicated workers sighed and shut down their computers. Homely types obediently rolled up their brown bags and put down their newspapers. The last slacker got down off the desk and sat behind it, awaiting instructions. Chris stood up and began the afternoon briefing.  
' Bec and Carlos night shift today and Claire and Barry the early morning one. All out on the range, except for Claire and Leon who have to do an update on health insurance expenses for our unit' read out Chris, his jaw set at a thoughtful angle.   
'Any questions?' he queried, leaning his back against his hard desk. A burn out raised his yellow tipped hand.  
' Have the reports for the drug smuggling ring come in yet?' he asked, a slight quiver to his voice. The real question he was asking was: Have we been found out yet? Chris grimaced and rubbed the back of his head. He rubbed the space in between his eyes.   
' Call me psychic but your number is on your registry form for a reason' he stated, glaring at the bedraggled STARs member, the burn out squirmed a little under Chris's gaze and scathing remark. He opened his mouth to answer back but shut it again quickly. Chris inwardly chuckled. The guy was positively guilty, judging from his reactions. No harm in making him squirm a little more.  
' Meaning don't call us, we'll call you' chimed Chris, setting his jaw and narrowing his eyes. The burn out drew back a little and managed a jerky nod. Burnt Out. One of the homely group raised a manicured hand.  
' Excuse me sir, but I need permission to do a forensic test on the O'Leary kid' asked a brown haired girl at the back of the room, plain brown eyes looking at him dolefully. Charlotte Morgan, one of Bec's researchers, Harvard Graduate. Charlotte's eyes grew wider and she looked up at him through her fringe. Chris groaned slightly, and managed an intelligible reply.  
' Permission granted. All new findings must be recorded, with specific evidence for backing it up' he replied, trying to avoid those beseeching brown eyes, almost identical to the type Bec used to give him. The brown haired girl treated him to one of her sugar coated smiles, a strange contrast in her otherwise colourless face, eyes like diluted pools of black, skin ivory coloured and the dazzling smile standing out in stark contrast. Chris embarrassedly turned around.  
' If that's all, please head to the shooting range' he ordered, his voice hoarse from talking so much. Jill and Carlos both left to collect the Berettas, Chris behind them muttering about technique. The rest of the team followed at their own pace. Homely Charlotte Morgan prudently tucking in her STARs t-shirt into her pressed combats and gathering up her well-organised files and then leaving to the morgue.   
The burn outs trailed behind, yellow tipped fingers draped in pockets, eyes glazed and bloodshot, eager for a chance to slink out of duty.  
The dedicated types, water bottle in hand, jogged to the range, faces shining with expectancy.  
The last slacker slicked back their hair and walked at a leisurely pace to the range. Claire and Leon were alone.   
  
Claire often enjoyed sharing a desk with Leon. Leon was as tidy as she was messy, which balanced everything out, Claire scattered the garbage, Leon swept it out. She had often studied his face while they were working. Stray bangs of light brown hair tumbling onto his brow, blue eyes fixed on his work. The way he pouted his lips when he was working, finely pouted as he scrutinised his own work. But now, he was just a pain in the ass. He was in the mood for play, and she wasn't. It was a relatively rare moment, which occurred rarely. Claire pulled open one of the drawers, rummaging amongst the piles of paper for her calculator. She was turning everything out, when she felt a tap on her shoulder. She looked up to see Leon gazing at her playfully.  
  
' So Claire, want to have some fun?' he asked mischievously, brushing back a stray lock of hair from Claire's face. Claire quickly retied her ponytail before turning back to her drawer. Leon gave a low whistle and narrowed his eyes. Claire finally saw the gleaming metal case and pulled it out.   
Piling all the papers back into the overflowing drawers, she turned to the expenses list and began to total them up. She was just entering in the last column when she felt Leon's hand glide to her thigh. This was Leon's trump card, and Claire fought back the urgency to mount him on the desk and to slap him hard. Claire unconcernedly removed Leon's hand from her thigh as if it was dead carp. Leon furrowed his brow in thought. He reached into his drawer for a feather, which they used during their infirmary romp abouts.   
He glided down the edge of Claire's well-muscled thighs, tantalizingly moving it slowly up and down. He was about to move it down further when Claire swung her chair around and planted her hands either side of his thighs, and looked at him in the eyes, her nose brushing his slightly. Leon inwardly congratulated himself on getting the better of her. Claire flipped back her ponytail, playing with it slightly. She placed a soft hand on his.  
' You know what I want, Kennedy?' asked Claire in a husky voice. Leon matched her seductive look with one of his own and leaned his face closer to hers.  
' A cup of coffee. Expresso, nothing less' said Claire sweetly swinging her chair around and submerging herself in her work. Leon ran a hand thorough his hair and tried to think up a comeback. Claire sensed this and gave him such a sweet look that her couldn't resist. He relented and got up and left the room, delving his hands in his pockets for change. Just as his athletic figure had left the door, Claire let out a sigh.  
It wasn't often she would turn down one of Leon's offers, but she couldn't if she had a guilty secret on her mind. Claire drummed her pencil on the table and waited for Leon to return. She was going to tell him. It was a big decision and would change their lives drastically.  
  
Leon wandered over to the coffees machine and pulled out a pile of change from his pocket. He placed in the correct amount and punched in the numbers. He decided to get himself an expresso too. He sure needed one. He leaned his back against the wall and sighed. He had noticed a change had come over Claire in the past days. She would sit by the windowsill, and sigh. Her green orbs gazing out into the hillside, her finger tracing a pattern in the mist. Today confirmed his suspicions, and he didn't like it one bit. Claire never refused him, and during work hours was her speciality.  
The added caution that they might be caught made her more rampant, and he had fond memories of the infirmary. He closed his eyes and blissfully remembered their first time. Claire looking at him innocently, kissing him tenderly her hands caressing him, sliding his body until she had caught hold of him. The moans had come strong and sudden and they'd had a passionate, wonderful night.  
Leon forced his eyes open and grabbed the full cups of coffee. There was only one answer for her behaviour at the moment and he knew what it was. A weight of dread poured over him. He braced himself and stepped into the room.  
  
Claire was trying to get the calculator to co-operate with her when Leon returned to the room, carrying two cups of hot coffee. He set one down in front of her and took his up, taking a sip and facing his computer. Claire slurped hers and turned to her computer and started typing up the figures. Suddenly a chat window popped up on her screen.  
  
L_ Kennedy: Claire What's up?  
  
'Damn this network' thought Claire angrily.  
  
L_Kennedy: I said What's up?  
C_Redfield: Nothings up, Leon.  
L_Kennedy: Then why are you sighing and holding your head in your hands?  
L_Kennedy: Claire you still there?  
C_Redfield: If your asking why did I refuse you, it's because I don't want to be caught by Chris. Satisfied?  
L_Kennedy: I figured that much out. But what's with the sighing?  
C_Redfield: Leon, if you want to be here all night I suggest you work.  
L_Kennedy: Ooh, a sleepover! We can do our hair and paint our nails!  
C_Redfield: Work, Damn you  
'L_Kennedy' has changed his name to ' Leon'  
Leon: Would you feel more comfortable if I was addressed informally to you?  
C_Redfield: Don't give a shit, just work.  
Leon: What's up Claire?  
C_Redfield: YOU are what's up, now get back to work.  
Leon: I know that's not your problem   
C_Redfield has logged off.  
  
  
Leon, frustrated turned back to his work and began typing. He banged his fingers hard on the keyboard, taking his anger out. Claire was much the same, typing fast and only pausing to flick her hair out of her face. Claire turned away from her screen and sighed. Leon continued to type, pointedly ignoring her scowling at his computer screen. He looked up, when he felt Claire's soft hand on his shoulder. Her eyes were brimmed with tears, and her mouth was trembling. Wordlessly, Leon turned to face her, squeezing her hands, his face gentle.  
  
' Leon, I've been feeling pretty bad lately' began Claire, her voice shaking slightly, staring at her hands, which were entwined in Leon's. Leon stroked her face and nodded.  
' And I've kept it secret from you for a long time' stammered Claire. Tears were rolling down her finely crafted cheeks. They slid down over Leon's long fingers.  
' Tell me Claire. I'm here for you. I always have been. And I always will' whispered Leon comfortingly. Claire gulped, her small lips quivering, preparing for what she was about to say.  
'Leon, I'm' she began, but unable to finish, as the sobs shook her body, her head dropped to her hands. Leon at that precise moment felt his heart stop. Oh god, Claire was… what would they do about money? How would they cope so young? What would Chris say? Leon's breathing quickened, and he felt panic take over him. Claire continued to weep, her body racked with the sobs. She swallowed and looked up.  
' Leon, I'm longing for a motorcycle' she finished.  
Leon felt the urge to laugh loudly, but kept a straight face. He pulled Claire close to him.  
' Claire, you had me worried' he said huskily, wrapping his arms around her waist.  
Claire managed a small smile, and wiped her tear-streamed eyes.  
' Leon, Motorcycling was a thing me and Steve both enjoyed. When I stopped I felt that a part of me had died. The part that was keeping Steve's memory alive. It made me depressed, and ill' said Claire shakily, looking up at Leon. ' I know we'll have to cut back on the things we like though to afford this'.  
' Like what?' asked Leon, smiling down at her.  
' We can't get that fancy quilted toilet paper you like, less of those fancy bagels. Plain ones are enough for me' quipped Claire beginning be herself.  
' It'll be hard, but we'll manage' assured Leon, cradling her head. Claire sat back down and printed out the copy of the health expenses. Leon scooped them up and dropped them on Chris's desk. He looked at his watch. Almost time for them to be off duty. Claire's eyes were glowing with their familiar light. She beckoned Leon to sit next to her. She gripped his bicep.  
' For not living up to my normal expectations today, I'll make up for it tonight' she said slyly, her lips almost on his. Leon responded by brushing his lips against hers, and slowly pushing his tongue into her mouth. Claire acted accordingly, and leant back along the desk. Claire pulled away and regarded Leon's face.  
' Why wait until tonight?' she asked, kissing him again and pulling his legs around her. Leon Jumped back as the now familiar stab of pain surged up his groin.   
' Maybe in a couple of day's time' he said breathlessly, hopping about as the pain escalated to new levels. Claire got up and chuckled at the sight of her boyfriend hopping around like a demented chicken.  
' Any sooner, and Chris and the group would have come barging in' said Leon, in between grunts.   
' Then we'll just have to wait for prom night' cooed Claire, gazing happily at the date marked on the calendar.  
  
' Nice work team, improvement here has shown, but quick draw could be a little stronger' said Chris to the team who were grouped around the firing range. He checked his watch. ' Dismissed'.  
A collective cheer went up from the group who departed in different ways.  
A burn out, crept outside and lit a joint, whilst a dedicated type jogged back to the office to gather up necessary files for the next day. A brown haired homely type, walked out to the lot to head home and cook dinner. The slackers stayed grouped around the STARs captain, laughing and joking.   
' Come on, Jillie, let's head home' said Chris giving Jill glance. Jill opened her mouth to retort, but shut it quickly and smiled. Jill and Chris giggled like schoolgirls and raced out to the lot, holding hands, twittering. They were in the car and out of the lot in 2 seconds flat. Bec dug her toes into the ground and let out a low whistle.  
' Three guesses for what they're gonna be doing tonight' asked Bec, staring at the disappearing form of Chris's car.  
' If I know Chris, it'll be dinner, movie then a great time' said Carlos, raising his eyebrows.   
' But then again, if Jill has anything to do with this, then it'll be massage, walk and then the great time follows' said Barry, leaning back against the wall.  
' Hey guys, what ya doing? Talking about my brother's undecidedly trashy love life?' shrieked the familiar voice. Claire stuck her head through the door, and walked in, holding hands with Leon.   
' Damn, I wanted to catch him before he left' groaned Claire, looking around fro Chris.  
' You could always phone him' reminded Leon.  
' Better not, rookie, he and Jill practically ran out off here' said Carlos, with a slight edge to his voice. The realisation finally dawned on Leon and Claire. Ahhh.  
' Well you guys will be the first to know that I'm' cried Claire, before Carlos and Barry both yelled and slapped Leon on the back, Bec enveloped Claire in a friendly hug.   
' That I'm buying a motorcycle' finished Claire, an impish smile forming on her features. Carlos and Barry continued to yell and slap Leon on the back. Bec grinned and clapped Claire on the back.  
' Of course I owe this to one very nice guy, who first introduced me to motorcycles' said Claire warmly, looking at Barry, who smiled.   
' Come on, Claire, we better hit the supermarket' said Leon, tugging Claire's arm.  
' Remember Leon, no fancy toilet paper, no fancy bagels' chanted Claire as Leon dragged her out of the room.  
Bec arched her eyebrows, and Carlos brushed back his hair. It was Barry who broke the silence.  
' You know for a minute I thought it was something else they were going to tell us' he said thoughtfully, rubbing the butte of his Colt Python.  
' I think we all did' chimed Bec.  
' I was thinking that Chris was gonna murder them both' cracked Carlos, laughing. Barry checked his watch and tapped his boot heel against the vinyl floor.  
' Gotta run guys, Jenna has a Violin recital this evening' he said, before jogging out of the room.   
Carlos turned to Bec who was looking at the floor, grey eyes, scanning the tiles, her medic vest hanging out of her combat pants. Her waistband was low on her small hips, and her green STARs vest clinging to her petit curves. Bec looked up at hi and gave him a shy smile from underneath her floppy bangs of red hair. Carlos noticed how her eyes glittered slighted from underneath their mist.  
' Guess we're having a slumber party tonight' said Carlos, turning on his Spanish lilt, and giving Bec a look that made her blush. She put her hands to her cheeks to hide them.  
' Yeah we braid each others hair and paint our nails' said Bec in a whimsical voice.  
' And talk about our crushes' said Carlos, lowering his eyes conspiratorially. Together Bec, and Carlos head to the STARs office to begin they're night duty.  
  
Chicky Sez: What do you think? Sorry it took so long to put this chapter up, but it's a really long one. Dance to follow soon!   



	6. Vanity Fair

Vanity Fair  
  
  
Beauty comes from within,  
Truth is beauty,  
Beauty is Truth,  
But sometimes we don't know the meaning.  
Striving to achieve outer glory,  
But inside,  
You're nothing at all…  
  
Adelaide Van Hoosen.  
  
  
' Hmm, these plain bagels taste almost as good as those fancy ones' commented Leon as he gnawed on a crusty brown bagel. He chewed and took another bite, yelping as his tongue made contact with hot butter.   
' And we saved $6 !' shrieked Claire, smothering hers in butter and sitting down next to Leon on the comfortably shabby sofa. She took a huge bite from her steaming bagel, and licked a bit of butter off her finger.  
' At this rate, if we continue to buy these and save up a bit of money, then we'll be able to afford a motorcycle in no time!' chattered Claire, happily, finishing off the last of her bagel and getting up to make some coffee.  
Leon swallowed his last morsel of bagel and stood up to join her at the kitchen counter. The counter was decorated with wood furnishings, and smelt like pinewood.   
There was the vibrant smell of Begonias by the windowsill, which had managed to survive despite Claire's neglect.  
A fire was burning merrily in the place, casting a golden hue over the room, which was cosy and inviting.   
Leon leant his elbows on the surfaced and watched Claire as she chattered as happily as a jay, whilst filtering the coffee. The change in her was remarkable. Her eyes were glittering and her skin glowing, her mouth stretched into a smile.   
Claire poured out two cups of coffee and brought them into the living room, and set them down on the small table. The fire shed a stream of gold across her hair, making it shine a brilliant auburn.   
He reached into his pocket and felt for the ticket their. It had cost a heck of a lot, and he wasn't going to lose it in a hurry. Claire took a break from her monologue of motorcycles, and was draining away her coffee. Leon began his sales pitch.  
He casually draped his arm around her and cleared his throat.  
' Claire I have a little surprise fro you' he said mysteriously, looking deep into her eyes. Claire narrowed her eyes at him, and slurped away at her coffee.  
' Your going to a health farm tomorrow' he finished, trying to shield himself from the shower of scalding coffee that Claire had spat out over him, it was no use however and he caught a shower of coffee in his face.   
He stood up yelping, and hopped around the room for the second time that day. Claire collapsed into giggles and was intently studying the ticket. She examined it closely to make sure it wasn't one of Leon's pranks.   
The seal was genuine however and it belonged to the fanciest health farm in the area, ' Le Chambordoe'.   
' I send you to a health farm, and I get third degree burns?' asked Leon jokingly, as he examined the red marks down one side of his face.  
' Leon, I was planning to break your arm this evening' cracked Claire as she poured over the ticket.  
' If you look at it any closer, you'll inhale it' commented Leon, as Claire examined it front and back, her nose brushing the ticket.  
' You leave tomorrow at 7 am. I'll run you over then pick you up in the evening' said Leon, as Claire carefully placed the ticket on the fridge. Leon grinned. He had successfully carried out the first part of the plan.  
  
Chris pulled Jill closer to him as they sat on the sofa. He nuzzled her neck and breathed in deeply the scent of her skin. Jill reached for his hands and squeezed them in hers, as Chris kissed the silky back of Jill's neck, brushing away the red locks from her neck.   
The movie played on in the VCR, long forgotten, the sound blaring on in the quiet room. Jill turned around and ran her hand through Chris's spiky hair, and placed her lips on his whilst his other hand reached for the remote control, which switched off the video.   
There was silence except for the sound of Chris and Jill's lips embracing. Chris's hands circled the small of her back, running up to her head and caressing her hair. He slid his hands up Jill's skintight top, and stroked the warm flesh there, touching the curve of her waist.   
Jill leaned back on the sofa, and Chris's hands were just about to pry open the buttons on Jill's top when they were interrupted by the phone.   
RING! RING! Blared the phone.   
Chris tried to ignore it at first, but the sound of the phone-ringing cut into his thoughts. He pulled back from Jill, who sat up annoyedly and walked into the kitchen to pick up the phone.   
' Hello' she said in a grumpy voice. 'All that foreplay ruined. When I get back to the sofa Chris will probably be asleep' She thought dismally.  
' HI JILL!' shrieked Claire's high-pitched voice. Jill held the phone away from her ear as Chris's baby sister bellowed into her ear.   
' So it's gonna be so cool, and we'll look great for the dance, hey! We can prize you into a sun bed!' shrieked Claire down the phone.   
Jill grimaced and looked longingly back at the sofa, where Chris's familiar snores could be heard. Jill picked up the cordless phone and walked back to the living room, to see Chris asleep with his mouth open on the sofa, his chest rising and falling, a pillow gripped in his hands.  
' Uh Claire what are you talking about?' asked Jill confusedly.   
' What don't you know!? We're going to a health farm tomorrow as all the guys treated us!' yelled Claire louder than before.  
' Hmm. Chris hasn't told me yet' interjected Jill, thorough Claire's screams.  
' He will. Leon said that all three of us are going' said Claire breathless from her yelling. Jill could faintly hear Leon in the background groaning.  
' Baby? Put the phone down and come to dada' groaned Leon in the background. Jill suppressed a laugh.  
' So you had to phone me up at 2 am just, to tell me that?' asked Jill.  
' Well I figure you'd still be awake, judging by the pace you and Chris left the RPD today' quipped Claire devilishly. ' Ok then see ya at 7am!' shrieked Claire before slamming down the phone and returning to her lovegod.   
Jill replaced the phone and sat on the edge of the sofa, studying Chris as he slept.   
His face twitched in his sleep, and the curve of his mouth was softened downwards, as he snored peaceful, his body was enveloped in shadows from the candles in the windowsill.  
Jill tiptoed over to the window and blew them out quietly, her breath making misty patches on the window.   
Outside the moon was up, and a bird twittered. Jill turned around to see Chris propped up on one arm staring at her, his green eyes reflecting like cat's eyes.  
' Jillie? Is something wrong?' he asked concernedly, his hair dishevelled from his nap.  
Jill shrugged and scooted over to him and sat down.   
' Nothing at all' she assured him, studying the cushions on the sofa.  
Chris gave her a probing look, his eyes seeing into the depth of her being. He cocked up an eyebrow.  
' I'm fine Chris' she repeated, flashing him a flicker of a smile. The smile stayed at her lips, and did not reach her eyes. Chris placed a hand on her shoulder and pulled her gently to him. He buried his head in her neck.   
' Jill, I know you're not alright' he whispered into her neck.  
Jill sighed and stood up.  
' Chris, Claire just phoned me' she started. Chris chuckled.  
' She often does' he drawled.  
'And it sounded like her and Leon were having a great time' she finished.  
' And we're not' questioned Chris.   
His face was unreadable in the dark.  
The tension in the small room was hard that you could cut it with a knife.   
A nightingale fluttered past the window, the only sound in the still night. Chris jumped off the sofa, and turned the light on. The lights flickered on and his eyes were gleaming with their boyish glow. He jubilantly pulled her to her feet and twirled her around.   
' Who says you can't have a good time without birth control?' he asked whilst he and Jill did the foxtrot across the living room, their feet tapping on the floorboards.  
' Just like old times' said Jill half wistfully.   
She remembered completing missions with the team, and then heading to the nearest bar and getting drunk. Richard, joking and laughing through his drunken gaze, all reserve melting away with a drop of liquor. Joseph and Forest eyeing up the talent, shaken not stirred. Barry and Enrico cutting out early to head home to their spouses. Ed taunting at Brad who refused to drink more than one pint. And her and Chris stumbling home and watching a movie, eating pizza and falling asleep on the couch together.  
Chris grabbed the phone and put it on Speaker. Giggling like teenagers, they rifled through the phone book until they found an anonymous number. Chris dialled it in and waited.  
'Hello?' said a crabby voice. Chris motioned to Jill who went and took over.  
' Excuse me, this is the federal base for the prevention of cruelty to large novelty sized rabbit droppings' she began, her voice deep and serious.  
' Y-ess?' answered the voice nervously.  
' And I have had several reports of people at this address abusing these large novelty sized rabbit droppings' said Jill darkly. Chris clamped a hand over his mouth to contain his laughter. Jill smothered her mouth to stop cackling.  
' W-hat are the charges?' asked the voice miserably.  
' The charges are a week's worth of cleaning out the men's toilets in the RPD, bare handed and with no paper masks' said Jill, slamming down the phone and letting the tears of mirth run down her face.  
Chris's body shook with the laughs, and he clutched his sides, as the laughter made them hurt.  
' What's next?' asked Jill eagerly, sitting up. Chris walked over to the stereo and turned it on.   
Dance music came filtering out, and he grabbed her by the arms and they began to dance. Chris twirled her around and dipped her, pinching her ass as she turned her back to him. Jill squealed and pulled on his waist whilst tugging on his left arm. Chris fell to the floor with a thud, an astonished look on his face. Jill regarded him.  
  
' You look funny flat out on your ass' she said sweetly, before running around the room, dodging Chris, who was chasing her. She stopped short to catch her breath, and Chris succeeded in getting his arms around her.   
The music changed to a slow, sexy ballad. Chris took her into his arms and they swayed to the music. Jill blissfully rested her head on his shoulder as they danced, teasingly rubbing herself against him. Chris gulped as he felt a lump grow in his body parts. The music stopped and Chris bowed formally to Jill. Jill lowered her head and curtsied perfectly.  
Jill raced to the fridge and opened it. She searched frantically for something edible but could only find a lump of cheese. Snickering she took this into the living room where Chris was patiently waiting. His eyes lit up when he saw her carrying a tray.  
' Ahh, Mizz Valentino, what delicacies have you brought me?' he asked in his best Italian accent.  
' Shut your trap Redfield, you sound like a llama's pet piece of crap which lives on a shit farm' quipped Jill, before removing the silver dome over the plate with a flourish. Chris stared at the lumps of cheese on the plate with a bemused expression.  
' Uhh. Well, it's different' he stuttered, as he regarded the hefty yellow lumps. Jill held one up tantalizingly in front of his eyes. She moved it around his face, his eyes never straying. He quickly lunged forward and nipped the cheese from her fingers in one deft motion.   
Jill jumped back from the motion and watched Chris, devour the cheese with relish and then run his tongue over his lips slowly.   
He picked up a lump of cheese and looked at Jill who giggled.   
She opened her mouth and he popped in it. The rest of the cheese was eaten in a less suggestive manner.  
Jill looked outside at the lake that their house was on. A smirk grew across her fine features and she concocted her plan.   
Running back to the room, she tugged Chris to his feet and bundled him outside. Giggling and whispering they stripped off and leapt into the clear waters. Loud shrieks followed as the iciness of the water hit them, and the cold night air mingled with the freezing cold waters. Chris ducked his head and swam, feeling the refreshing waters rush past his ears, his body gliding thorough the waters gracefully. Jill bobbed up and down beside, freezing, but content.   
Chris flicked some water at her and looked at her.  
' Haven't you ever been skinny dipping before?' he asked as Jill experimenting, waved her arms in the waters.  
' Alas no, the daredevil, raving, disco diva Jill Valentine has never been skinny-dipping before' she answered, splashing him slightly.  
' Oh boy. Many of my escapades include swimming naked in some pond' joked Chris, as he floated on his back. Jill stared at him out of sapphire eyes.  
' C'mon, tell' she pleaded. Chris took a deep breath.  
' When Claire and I moved to the orphanage, I was 15 and she was 8' he began, wistfully. Jill's eyes softened a little and she nodded for him to go on.  
' Well our orphanage was right on this gorgeous, crystal clear lake. Practically every summer night we would spend down their, swimming, or lying beside the calming lakes. We had some good times. Many of them with girls' said Chris, ducking as Jill splashed him viciously.  
' Right it's President's Day Weekend. All of the kids are totalled from drinking one too many shandys and most of them are on the crapper. My friends are crashed out in the bathroom, snoring in the bathtub, that kind of thing. And there's this absolutely, mind blowingly, self contained, model with an IQ of an eggplant there. She's a new kid, needs someone to show her the ropes' said Chris, and flexes his huge biceps in the moonlight.  
' Her name was Serenity. True, she walked like a goddess and had one cute ass, but, jeez, she made driftwood look intelligent. Well she's only half wasted, so giggling, I tell her that the initiation into the orphanage is to swim naked into the lake. I, so cunningly sexy and sly say that'll I accompany her on this feat. So this sexy klutz and I, strip off and swim naked in the lake. Little did we know, but the lake had been fitted with movement-censored lights. So the whole lake was illuminated, showing as in all our glory, making out naked in the lake. End of story' finished Chris, shivering in the cold waters. Jill cocks her head at him.  
' What happened?' she asked sweetly.  
' Jill Valentine, did I tell you how beautiful you look in the moonlight?' asked Chris, looking at her with his puppy dog expression, which had gotten him out of so many scrapes before.   
' No but it can wait' quipped Jill, dodging away from Chris's arms. Chris advanced to her in the water, his movements making ripples in the crystal water.  
' If you want to father my children then I suggest that you tell me what happened' said Jill warningly, her arms raised. Chris flops dejectedly back in the water.  
' I was made to troop stark naked back to my dorm' he admitted ruefully.  
' And Serenity?' asked Jill.  
' Ditto. Cept' for all the boys fell in love with her Serene Jewels, that she was drooled on wherever she went' finished Chris.   
Chris ducked his head under water, and swam across to Jill, who was still bobbing up and down.   
' Gotcha!' yelled Chris, grabbing hold of one of legs, and pulling her under water. Jill gave a strangled scream, and went under, her arms flailing.   
When she surfaced again, her eyes shone like daggers into Chris's.  
' You better take this time to tell me how beautiful I look in the moonlight' said Jill viciously. Chris raised his arms, and risked a wink. He gingerly took one of Jill's hands.  
' Your absolutely mind-blowingly, sexy' he said. Jill placed two hands on his head and dunked him under water.  
' What was that for?' asked Chris as he spit the water out of his mouth. Jill dived under the water and rose up, her hair slick against her forehead, the moonlight sending shadows onto her creamy body.  
' Your so beautiful, Jill that I don't need to treat to a Health Spa' concluded Chris, as he wrapped his arms around her slim waist and placed soft kisses along her neck.  
' Your so stupid Chris, that if you don't treat me to a Health Spa, then your going to be finding pieces of your anatomy scattered about this here lake' said Jill innocently, cuffing his ear.  
' The ticket is on the kitchen table. I run you over there at 7 am and then pick you up later' said Chris quickly, rubbing his ear.  
' Much Better, Redfield' quipped Jill, splashing him with the lake waters. Chris took up the challenge and a water splashing fight began.  
  
' Truth or Dare?' asked Carlos. Bec gave a start and looked up at Carlos who was teasingly looking down at her. Carlos caught hold of her hand and swung it playfully.  
' Truth or Dare' he asked again.  
' Dare' said Bec coyly.  
' Feisty Senorita' quipped Carlos, narrowing his eyes. He thought for a moment then told his dare.  
' You have to answer one of the ads in the chronicle' he said.   
' Okay' said Bec confidently, picking up the newspaper and scanning thorough the ads.  
' Needed: One sausage packer, no, Le petit Liz Bette looking for fresh faces for upcoming modelling shoot, nope probably some pervy dirty old guy' read Bec, as she scanned down column. Carlos took the newspaper and looked.   
' Found one that's perfect for you' he said gesturing to a small amount of text at the bottom of the page. Bec took the newspaper and read.  
' Needed: One night clerk at Smithy's Motel, no way, Carlos they rent rooms by the hour for quickies' said Bec. Her eye fell upon one.  
' Hmm. This is a lonely Hearts one. Wanted: Life long companion for one incredibly gorgeous Harvard University grad, blonde, blue eyed and enjoys watching discovery channel, definitely not' concluded Bec.  
' Why not?' questioned Carlos.  
' Probably some geek with zits, coke bottle glasses and braces' quipped Bec. ' Either Date a weirdy or watch the illicit mating habits of the unhappily married and a no-tell, motel'.  
' Or you do this' said Carlos slyly. Bec leant forward to listen.  
' Right Officer Clark is asleep on duty. You know about his terrible fear of dogs…' trailed off Carlos, who was running his hands through his hair thoughtfully.  
' So I let one of the dogs into his office while he's sleeping' finished Bec.  
' And then lock the door from the outside' added Carlos, taking a sip out of his expresso.  
' Deal' said Bec, shaking Carlos's hand and then creeping out of the room. Bec flattened herself against the wall, inwardly thanking the RPD for being empty at this time of night. Carlos was following behind her, stepping quietly.   
Bec walked up to the dog pound, where she could hear the smothered howls of the police dogs.   
She drew back the bolts on the door and quietly turned the key in the lock.   
Stepping in as silent as a mouse, she tiptoed across the vinyl floor. Carlos was behind her and he quickly turned on the light switch.   
As the bright light filled the room, the disgruntled dogs shifted positions, and began to awake and bark thinking it was morning and time for breakfast.   
Bec deftly turned the light switch off and slunk back in the shadows pulling Carlos behind her, as the sound of approaching footsteps neared.   
Bec and Carlos crouched in the dark, and could hear the officer waiting outside. He stopped for a little while, and once hearing the noise die down, he walked back to his office. Hearing him leave, Bec and Carlos shared a sigh of relief.  
' We'll have to do this in the dark' whispered Bec, as she orientated herself in the cramped room. Carlos grunted an affirmative.  
Bec slowly crawled on her front to the feed store in the corner of the room. She pocketed some dog biscuits and then continued the crawl back to the pound.   
She reached the nearest cage and placed her fingers reassuringly in the dog's soft head.   
The dog uttered a soft whimper as she pried open the bolt and drew back the chains, wincing as the old chains rattled loudly.   
Catching the dog by the collar and handing him the dog biscuits, she carefully led him to the door.   
Carlos emerged from his hiding place at the sound of the dog's teeth on the biscuit and drew open the bolts on the door.  
Giggling and whispering they led the dog out and down the corridor.  
' Quietly, we don't want to get caught' whispered Bec, as they went down a deserted hall. Carlos's sharp ears picked up the pattering of feet.  
' Bec put him in the storage cupboard' he hissed as the footsteps neared. Bec hurriedly hustled the dog into the large cupboard and dropped down on one knee as if she doing up a bootlace. Carlos casually leaned his back against the wall, hands in his pockets, whistling ' The Island of Capri'.   
The figure eventually turned down into the hall and Bec's face fell when she saw whom it was.   
Zoë Grimsby, a rookie cop from the anti terrorist unit, who was one of the many women who drooled over Carlos.   
Her face lit up with excitement when she saw him, her podgy legs tottering in her tight jeans, round face creased with happiness.  
' Hi Carlos, I didn't know you were doing the night shift!' bubbled Zoe, as soon as she saw Carlos.  
There was an ominous rustling in the cupboard, and Bec looked frantically at the door. Carlos sensed her fear, as he suddenly began talking faster and hustling Zoe down the corridor much to her disappointment.   
Bec tried to look cool and calm, running a hand through her shoulder length red hair, looking at the ground.   
She saw Carlos and Zoe disappear around the corner for a few minutes.   
The dog pawed at the door, and howled at being shoved in a dingy cupboard. Carlos returned soon. His face was screwed up into a grimace, and he was swiping his mouth with the back of his hand.   
' Man, that was one gruesome experience that I plan on forgetting' grimaced Carlos, and he swiped roughly at his mouth.   
  
' What d'ja do?' asked Bec curiously.  
' The only way I could shake her was to kiss her' groaned Carlos, as his face took on the pained expression.   
The door shuddered and the dog came bounding out slathering Carlos graciously in wet licks. Carlos squatted down and patted the excited dog.   
' C'mon Bec, this fella's ready to play' said Carlos, grabbing the dog's collar and leading him down the hall to Officer Clark's Office.   
As they neared the door, the sound of the officer's deep snores could be heard. The dingy office light was still on, and through the blurred window the sleeping figure of Officer Clark could be seen.  
Thick legs in tight blue jeans, his grubby black RPD t-shirt covered in food stains. Empty boxes of donuts were on his desk along with the other piles of junk.  
A true police cop. Right down to the untidy desk and big belly.  
Bec cautiously opened the door, hearing the rusty clang that came from the weak joints. The officer twitched in his slumber; round face billowing slightly in between he creases of fat.   
Carlos gently placed a newspaper on his face. Bec silently watched him breathing and timed the right moment. As his chest went in, she deftly swiped his handcuffs from his stretched belt and gingerly lifted one of his hands. Carlos snapped the cuffs round his bulging wrist and then snapped the other to the table leg. Bec pocketed the shiny key, and then began untying the dog.  
Nanuke, the dog was already excited from the escapades of the night. His shaggy tail was beating rhythmically on the vinyl floor and he licked Bec's hands as she struggled with the tough clasps of his collar.  
Carlos kept a vigil on the Officer and impatiently tapped his boot heel on the floor.  
If they were caught, they'd be in deeper shit than a llama's pet piece of crap who lived on a stink farm and had just been invaded by a stink bomb.   
A cry of triumph escaped from Bec's lips as the clasp of the collar finally gave way. As soon as he was free from his entrapments, Nanuke went wild. His free head shook vigorously, and his huge feet made a clatter on the floor. Bec froze in blind panic.  
' Bec! We gotta get outta here and scram!' yelled Carlos above the bedlam. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Nanuke calm down and eye up the slumbering officer. Carlos grabbed her elbow. 'BEC!'.  
Bec shook her head, and quickly dodged out of the room, Carlos on her heels. She paused for breath while Carlos drew back the bolts and turned the key in the lock. Already the Officer's screams of fear could be heard, mixed with the thuds of a large dog.   
They sprinted around a corner into a deserted corridor and gave into laughter. Tears of mirth streamed down Carlos's face and Bec's sides began to ache.  
Leaning against the wall for support, Bec regained her breath. Carlos followed suit.  
' The best bit was hearing ol' Clark screaming like a little girl' said Carlos, grinning like a Cheshire cat.  
' News Flash: wasted officer from the RPD records the highest pitched scream the world has ever seen!' said Bec in her best all business voice.  
  
After all the laughter had been done, tears of mirth wiped and composure regained the two pranksters stumbled back to the STARs office, sneaking looks at each other. The door of the office was already open when they arrived.   
Bec stumbled in, the long workout and hours of paper work starting to take toll. She draped herself on her chair, and propped her dainty feet up on her desk. Carlos parked himself on the corner of her desk and swung his feet.  
' So amigo, what's next in your line up?' asked Bec lazily, her eyes half closed.  
Carlos grinned and took up the challenge.  
' You look kinda wasted yourself, so I was thinking coffee break' drawled Carlos, snapping his fingers together.  
' A vatful' purred Bec, her eyes fully closed, her head nodding.  
' How about a coffee chugging contest?' offered Carlos, his voice low and taunting.  
Bec's eyes flew open and she regarded him out of grey eyes. Carefully entangling her legs, she leaned forward, so her face was only inches away from his.  
' You're on!' she proclaimed, digging out some change.  
Both of then made the quick pilgrimage to the coffee machine and stocked up. Stepping carefully back to the empty office arms full of cups of coffee, the test began.  
Carlos straightened himself up and eyed the first cup of coffee.   
He stealthily walked up to the tray, and picked up the cappuccino. Snatching it up in one deft motion, he held it to his lips and chugged it down in one gulp. A low cry escaped from his throat, he quickly extinguished it with a glass of water.  
' Smeg!' quipped Bec gleefully from her position opposite him. ' If Chris is ruler of drinking booze, then I wonder what you are?' she questioned, batting her eyes.  
' A dumb guy who decides to drink coffee straight from the machine' croaked Carlos, settling his burning throat with another glass of water. ' Your up, Chambers'.  
Bec took the challenge.   
She had purposefully asked Carlos to go first, so giving her time to let the coffees cool a little. He had also eliminated the lethal cappuccino. She reached down and gripped one of the polystyrene cups, and raising it to her lips she chugged.   
Seconds later, she swiped her mouth, and slammed down the empty cup.  
She eyed Carlos.  
' Enough of this hissy stuff, just chug and throw your empty cups behind you!' declared Carlos, raising a cup.  
Bec nodded quickly and a maze of flurry and confusion followed. Minutes later, a stack of empty coffee cups beside her, her feet up and her hand rubbing her stomach.  
Carlos was seated opposite her in the same way, groaning as his stomach was tacking use of the caffeine.  
' After all that, I bet I won't sleep for a month' groaned Bec, her hand still massaging her stomach.  
' On counting the total of empty cups, It has come to mind that we have a draw. 9 cups to 9 cups' announced Carlos, dumping the empty cups into the overfilling trashcan. ' It isn't over yet though'.  
' Whatdya mean? I'm outta change, and your tongue's burned' quipped Bec.  
' Well it's jes' that the dance is approaching fast, and you'll need to be looking your best' said Carlos darkly.  
' And I certainly will' added Bec.  
' That's why us boys have clubbed together to send you girls to a health farm tomorrow' finshed Carlos, handing Bec a ticket.  
Bec let out a whoop and wrapped her arms around Carlos, who lurched at having all the breath squeezed out of him. Carlos grinned at the satisfaction from a hug from Bec and by carrying out the plan successfully. Bec released him from her grip and pushed the ticket far down into her pocket.   
After the energetic rush, Bec felt drained, and relaxed at her desk.  
' You seem pretty tired' observed Carlos from his side of the desk.  
' Yeah' answered Bec drowsily, her head drooping. Within minutes she was fast asleep on her desk, fatigue winning the final battle.  
Smiling at her slumbering form, Carlos gathered up the empty containers and trash and tidied up. He gently shifted her head to a better angle, and dropped a light kiss on her cheek.   
Bec stirred slightly and mumbled his name.  
Carlos sighed happily and settled down to watch his sleeping beauty.  
  
Leon paced up and down the room with the phone, listening to he rings and it was finally picked up.  
' Whassup?!' said the familiar drawl.  
Leon eyed the bathroom door.  
' Fine, how goes the plan?' he asked uneasily.  
' It goes fine. At this moment senorita is dosing contentedly at her desk' said Carlos, looking at Bec's tired form.  
' You sure must've given her a workout' said Leon, rolling the words around in his mouth, making them sound R rated.  
' Sure did. Chris okay with his score?' asked Carlos.  
' Fine' assured Leon, glancing at the bathroom door.  
' We should have the girls outta the way for long enough to finally put together the last parts of your initiation' confirmed Carlos, counting the hours down on his fingers.  
' Later, man gotta run' said Leon all in one breath as the bathroom door knob started to turn.  
' Latta' returned Carlos, before hanging up.  
The bathroom door swung open just as Leon put down the receiver. Claire slunk out, clad in a sheer red robe, partially open.  
Leon's eyes widened as he accepted her embrace. Things were FINALLY going to plan.  
  
Chicky sez: Well whatdya' think? Sorry it took damn long to put up, but an overload of assignments prevented me from doing so.  
Hehhe, looks as though the boys have some tricks up there sleeves…. Watch this space.  



	7. Roving Romeos

Original Prankster  
  
  
Bust out on it,  
Original Prankster,  
Break down on it,  
Original Yeah,  
Bust out on it,  
Original Prankster  
You know it stops now,  
Stops now,  
That's what the main men say…  
  
Original Prankster, By The Offspring.  
  
' Hey Jill! Over here!' yelled the two high pitched voices shrilly to her.  
  
As rounded the corner in her convertible, she matched the excited voices to faces.  
Claire in her biker garb was waving enthusiastically at her, wide grin on her petit features, her hands like a vice grip on Leon Kennedy's, whose floppy brown hair was across his forehead, in his normal school boy style.  
  
Bec was smiling broadly, clasping her shoulder bag, a muscular tanned arm around her slim waist. That arm belonged to a Carlos Oliveira, whose velvet brown eyes never left the redheaded girl whom he was holding.  
  
Her gang. Jill climbed out and both girls swamped her with greetings.  
Chris who was at the wheel, waved to the two 'babies' as he put it, and yelled greetings to the ' rookie and amigo'.  
  
The babies both waved, one smiling shyly, the other pouting annoyedly. Rookie untangled himself from his baby, and climbed carefully into the back seat behind Chris, arranging his legs precisely.   
Amigo kissed his shy baby's hand and leapt over the door into the front seat next to Chris, and immediately turned up the volume on the radio.  
  
With a beep, and a wave, the carload of guys departed, the radio blaring out loudly in the still morning.   
  
Jill's ears filled with the excited chatter of the two younger females, as she took in the Health Farm.  
The large silver sign, proclaimed ' The Chambordoe' in copperplate writing, whilst the lavish orchids framed the doorway and neatly trimmed shrubs lined the elegant building.  
' Well what do you think?' demanded Claire as she watched Jill take in the building.  
  
' It looks wonderful' assured Jill, a happy smile crawling up her cherub lips.  
  
All musings were interrupted by their host, a beaming West Indian, who was clad in the smart white uniform of the farm.  
  
' From the early arrivals, I'm sure you must be Miss Chambers, Miss Redfield and Mrs Redfield?' she asked, glancing curiously at Jill and Claire, trying to establish a connection.  
  
Bec answered for them, as Claire was too busy smirking at Jill and Jill too embarrassed.  
' Yeah, that'll be us!' she informed happily, eager to start the beauty regime.  
  
' Good. You are free to use the facilities of the farm until 12:30 pm, when we break for lunch, and then on till 3:30 pm. Ok?' stated the employee.  
  
' Fine' answered Jill who had collected her wits.  
  
The employee nodded and ushered them into the reception, leaving them to their own devices.  
Grasping a well-worn schedule, Claire whispered the final words.  
  
' Let the beautifying begin!'  
  
  
After they had dropped the girls off at the health farm, the guys discussed what to do.  
Lining up the prank was their first priority. But the free time away from their women, distracted them to many other matters…  
  
' Let's toss the old pigskin about' said Leon, rubbing the scuffed skin of his beloved   
'Monty'.  
  
' I'm thinking a trip to the park to eye up talent' crooned Carlos as they passed the park, which was full of American Beauties sunning themselves in the wide-open spaces.  
  
' Deal with the prank, then we'll do something' stated the sunglasses wearing leader.  
  
Amigo and Rookie nodded and obeyed the leader. While the rest of the gang had nicknames, ' baby or biker baby' for boyish Claire, ' baby or sensitive soul' for sweet hearted Becca and ' Rookie' for clumsy Kennedy and 'Amigo' for the crooning Spanish man, Chris and Jill gained no name.  
It was mainly because they were the older set, the peacemakers, the leaders and on occasion ' The Oldies'. Chris liked it that way. After years of bowing down, he had gained some dignity, even if it was in way of deciding whether to eat at Mc Donald's, or Wendy's.  
  
Chris detoured to Leon's suburban ' Love Nest' and waited whilst Leon went in and collected his stuff.  
Then he travelled out to Carlos's 'Bachelor Pad' and followed suit. After these errands they stopped at Chris's ' House' to formulate their plan.  
  
At the 'House', after a brief break for impromptu trips to the bathroom and gathering necessary provisions, they grouped in Chris's living room to start planning.  
Chris tapped on the coffee table and waited for silence.  
  
' Okay, now let's go through the checklist to make sure we've got everything' he said glancing at Leon and Carlos.  
  
' Number one: Jockstraps?' asked Chris, trying not to look in their direction.  
After a brief rummage through the carrier bag, sprawling assorted prank gear on the floor, Leon waved the jockstraps proudly in the air.  
  
' Okay. Next, large placard?' read Chris, ticking things off the list.  
Carlos spread the board out on the floor. He nodded confidently at Chris.  
  
' Super. And lastly paint, and trip switches?' asked Chris.  
Leon bundled in the final contents of the bag away. The guys high fived and went off to the park to ogle the American Beauties and give Monty a good spin.  
  
  
' Hmmm, that feels good' purred a female voice from the massage room.  
Jill tried to concentrate on her magazine, but the antics of the massage room were distracting her. She casually glanced down at her hands, which had recently been manicured, the nails pointed like talons, gun trained hands smooth and silky.  
' Hmm, harder' purred the voice again.  
Claire cocked up and eyebrow at Jill, and then returned to her ' Biker Girl' magazine. Jill's hands dropped to her long legs, which were pale red after feeling the brunt of wax. Jill shuddered and vowed to never to ever wax again.  
  
Bec came bouncing in from the sun beds, her skin glowing and brown.   
Claire looked up and surveyed her, flicking up a neatly plucked eyebrow.  
' You look good. It's as if somebody skilfully stuck you in a toaster and got you out before you burned' she assessed, nodding her head to the tanned girl.  
Jill who was glad for the distraction added her bit too.  
' Your glowing so much you could provide the whole world's light source' she said sweetly, pointing at Becca's shiny, rosy cheeks.  
' Great line Jill. We can call her Miss Radioactive: First beauty queen who's a nuclear power plant tycoon' agreed Claire.  
Bec spread out her arms and smiled cutely.  
' Hey, it's Jill's turn next' she said slyly, pulling Jill to her feet.   
Jill cleared her throat and was prepared to make an excuse, but Bec who was determined to make the creamy bodied Goddess into a piece of burnt toast, dragged her to her feet and into the tanning room.   
  
Claire chuckled and turned her attention back to her magazine.  
Claire studied the Cheap Bikes page, looking for a good deal. Her mind was now freed up ever since she had told Leon. Claire liked the passion of the moment, but the look on his face made her crack up.   
He thought that she was…. No he couldn't have! Claire's musings were interrupted by a deep voice.  
' Next please' drawled a velvet smooth voice.  
Claire dropped her magazine and headed to the door, which was held open by a tanned, muscular arm.   
She felt the man's eyes on her back as she entered the room.  
' You must be Claire Redfield' he drawled again, looking her up and down and sizing her up with his blue eyes.   
Claire pasted a smile on her face, and nodded.   
This guy sure knew his rocket science.  
He causally waved his hand towards the massaging table and ran his hands through his sculptured hair, and flashed her a smile.  
  
Claire felt slightly sick. Chances were that this guy was a soapy, know it all prick who took pleasure in rubbing up women. But then again he looked as clever as driftwood. This would be a breeze.  
The man excused himself, saying something about ' Getting some more oil' which was basically saying that when he came back he wanted Claire semi naked and on the table when he came back.  
Claire grimaced and began to strip off as he left the room.  
  
' Okay, a little bit longer' assured Rebecca, watching Jill who had her eyes screwed shut.  
' Nearly done yet?' croaked Jill, not daring to open to her eyes. Bec let out a low whistle.  
'Jeez, Jillian, you're acting as if it's your execution. Lighten up' she said, turning the heat up on the dial. ' It'll be fine'.  
' That's what the executioner said to Marie Antoinette' groaned Jill, as the strong rays hit her.  
' Then again, Marie Antoinette's hairdo was permanent…'  
Both women laughed.  
' Miss Chambers I'm arresting you on the charges of grievous bodily harm' said Jill in her best police drawl.  
' What harm? I'm doing you good!' objected Bec from her seating place a save distance away from Jill.  
' The harm that after this I'll look permanently like a lobster' groaned Jill. 'Aren't we done yet?' she asked, sounding like a toddler. Bec let out a low grin and waggled her fingers.  
'Then again, your HUSBAND can claim the insurance money' assured Bec, with a heavy pronunciation on the word husband.  
' Well, DEAR, my HUSBAND will kick your ass from this world' retorted Jill, wriggling slightly. ' Any longer Bec? Someone's bound to pick me up asking me whether I had escaped from the fresh fish aisle' groaned Jill.  
' Agggggessss yet' drawled Bec, looking at Jill bemusedly. 'What's with this husband thing anyway?'  
' Dunno. I'm guessin' it's one of Carlos's jokes' said Jill, making preparations to move. Bec bared her way.  
' No way are you moving Missy. And anyway, Carlos would never do that' said Bec sweetly.  
' Ahhh, Rebecca you are under that first love spell: within a week it'll wear off and you'll be like any other sexually repressed teenager who gets all blushy whilst buying condoms' warned Jill.  
' No way. Carlos is so caring and sweet; I'll never get tired of him. And for the record I have bought a packet of condoms before, without blushing' quipped Bec, sticking her tongue out. Jill rolled over to let her back toast. She tucked her legs underneath her in a sphinx postion.  
' Pray child, when did this feat occur?' asked Jill, basking in the rays like a cat.  
Bec squirmed and blushed a little.  
' If it involves a bed, I won't ask' said Jill quickly looking at Bec's expression. 'Or the janitor's closet in the RPD'.  
Bec swatted Jill's arm playfully and shook her head.  
' Nope, it was at a friend's slumber party and I was double dared to buy a packet. I did not blush!' she added quickly.  
Jill cocked her head and one of her finely plucked eyebrows flew up.  
' And what did you do with them?' she asked smoothly.  
' Ok, ok. We put them on the light bulbs and blew one of them up and attached it to her father's motorcycle'.   
'Needless to say her father wasn't too happy when he found he couldn't remove the attachment, we'd super glued it on' she said, studying her manicure nails.  
' And what exactly was her father's job?' asked Jill curiously.  
'He was a bishop' said Bec, giggling from the memory.  
  
Jill, shifted position and gazed in horror at her legs. They hadn't come out the deep brown tan she had expected, they were an angry lobster red.  
' Are they meant to be like this?' asked Jill, trying to keep the flicker of worry out of her voice.   
Bec waved her arm and said blithely ' They'll tone down and tan soon. Hey, while you tanning, mind if I pop to the sauna?'.  
Jill nodded.  
' And don't get out of that sun bed, till I come back. You'll look terrible if you come out too soon. And for added security.' Bec said sweetly, locking the sun bed and taking the key.  
' I'll expect, when I see you' Jill yelled at Bec, just as she left the room. Bec stopped and grinned and then headed to the sauna room.   
  
  
'Does this feel okay?' asked Ricky, crooning in his deep Italian accent.  
Claire groaned and repeated 'It feels, fine, Ricky'. For the twentieth time.   
So much for massaging, the whole time Ricky, placed his hands on her ass and then kneaded it and asking if it felt 'ok'.  
Claire was soon to realise that a conversation doesn't necessarily need two people. For the 20 minutes Claire had been in the massaging parlour, she knew enough on this guy to fill several notebooks.  
He had told her that he was, a Leo, 24 years old and oh yes, that he was single. His ex wife was a Consultant Anaesthetist and lived in New York with his son.  
It struck Claire weird that someone so accomplished should be with a guy like Ricky.   
Ricky, who didn't know what the hell politics were, but hey, he knew what the newest brand of hair gel was.  
Of course his hair mattered a lot more than the crazy nut that rules this Godforsaken place.  
Ricky had so far only knew her name, and Claire hoped it would stay that way.  
Claire cringed slightly at the touch of his oily hands on her back and seriously wished she had chosen something else.  
' Your skin is soft, Cherie' he crooned again in his Italian accent. Claire hated peepers, but hated stereotypes most of all.   
Ricky turned around, and as he did his elbow knocked the tube of massaging oil off the side of the table.  
' God damnit!!!!' he yelled in a perfect Californian Drawl. Busted. Then what followed was lead up of cussings, when he suddenly seemed to remember Claire and put on his Italian accent and velvety manner.  
Claire wished he would go back to the cussing Californian whom she had known for less than minute but,  
She liked a hell of a lot more than the smarmy Italian bastard.   
Claire's ears listened out for the lunch bell.   
  
'Head's up Carlos!' yelled Leon, trying to get Carlos's attention, but failing as Monty spiralled down, and hit Carlos hard in the crotch.  
Carlos groaned and dropped to the ground. The American Beauty he had been eyeing up, had moved out of sight. The ball bounced into a nearby fountain.  
  
Chris and Leon came jogging up, trying to suppress their grins. They both hauled the injured man up and propped him up on a bench.  
' That's what you get for not concentrating!' quipped Leon, waggling his fingers at Carlos, who was still breathing hard.  
' She was worth it' he grinned, and rubbed the back of his neck.  
Chris looked at him comically.  
'Hey man, did you actually talk to her?' he asked jokingly.  
Carlos put his hands out in front of him. ' I was gonna, but Monty here landed me a big surprise'  
  
Chris stood up and looked about. The park was littered with numerous scantily clad girls, frying themselves in the sun. There was the blonde on in the halter neck, whom he wouldn't be forgetting about in a hurry. The cute red head, in the dark blue tassel top. Shaken not stirred, ladies.  
But no Monty.  
' Where'd did ole Monty fly to?' asked Chris, scratching his head.  
Leon jumped to his feet and ordered them to look for his old pal.   
Before he knew it, Leon had ushered him off to a secluded to spot to look for the ball and he was on his own.  
  
Carlos dropped onto a bench briefly, to give the pain a chance to settle. The park was full of people sunning themselves. Carlos did not mind THAT.  
Carlos was certainly not a pervert, but he liked to look at women, and today, well was just another day in the life of Carlos Oliveira, Lady's Man.  
A girl in denim hot pants happened by. Her shapely hip gave her walk a slight glide, and Carlo could not keep his eyes of the way they moved. His eyes continued to watch her until…  
She ran up and embraced some blonde guy with a baseball cap. Grunting Carlo got to his feet and decided to combine a search for Monty alongside a babe hunt.  
  
He felt a stab of regret as he thought about it.  
Becca.   
Becca the sweet faced, grey-eyed beauty. Becca was ten times smarter than the bimbos that paraded this park and a million times sweeter.  
But then again, his mind reminded him; you're not actually dating her…she's just a friend…a very close friend.  
Every time he tried to make contact with another girl, Bec's face kept on appearing.  
Her pretty, smiling face.  
Get hold of yourself, he told himself fiercely. She's just a girl. She's barely out of her teens.  
  
It was then he found his rap. The girl was dressed unlike the others her flesh covered.  
Her wide legged jeans, accentuated her slim waist, and the modest vest top, showed off her tanned arms.  
She bent elegantly, holding back her long dark hair as she drank from the water fountain.  
She looked up and unconcernedly shook the hair out of her eyes, and bent to pick up a rose that lay in the footpath.  
Poetry in motion.  
Carlos' heart skipped a beat as he caught sight of her eyes. The glowed like strong conkers, so dark that he could not distinguish the pupils.  
Bec's face did not appear.  
Carlos walked past her, casually brushed against her, and to his horror he knocked her right back into the water fountain.   
He yelped and cursed himself; he'd screwed up major. He helped the girl to her feet, and gave her quick smile. Bad move buddy.  
  
The girl regarded him for a moment and then burst into laughter. Her laugh was sweet, and tinkley and Carlo found himself laughing as well.  
' Fourth time that's happened today' she said in a sweet southern accent.  
  
'I woulda thought it to be the twentieth' he said , smiling as she blushed right up to the little curls just above her forehead. A Sweet Southern Belle.  
' So other than knock innocent girls into the water fountains, what do you do around here? She asked, shading her face from the sun. Carlos noticed the way her mouth curled up into that sweet smile, and the lilt of her voice.   
Bec. Very much the same manners and way. Attitude, too. Carlos shuddered and thought up a quick response.  
  
' Well, of course dares de old 'I'm top scorer and I'm gonna score with you' chuckled Carlos, remembering that well used line.  
The girl's mouth tugged up into another unique smile.  
' I thought the 'Your father's a thief cause he stole the stars and put them in your eyes' one was still in common use' she added.  
'Well in your case, it would be true' said Carlos smoothly, and for added measure he dropped his hand to the back of his neck and allowed a coy grin. Girls loved the sweet side.  
  
'Yup, that one makes the list' declared the girl solemnly.   
Carlos stuck out his hand and smiled.   
' Well if it helps, I'm Carlos' he offered. The girl took the hand and shook it.  
' Phoenix' she said as she shook his hand. Carlos gave the soft palm a gentle squeeze.  
'Carlos' she said rolling the name round in her mouth, as if tasting a new sweet. 'And the other half?'  
  
'Oliveira' he answered, looking over her face closely. The name Phoenix suited her, her hair deep red, and the distinguishable eyes, with set nicely against her skin. Her figure was like an elegant bird, full chest tapering down to long, slim legs and a well-toned waist. Sweet.  
He quickly took this all in and then asked her a question.  
  
'And the other half?' he countered back to her.  
'Gully'.  
'Phoenix Gully, nice'. At this point Phoenix grimaced.  
'My parents had a bad sense of humor' she confided to Carlos. 'My three other sisters are called Destiny, Desire and Willow' she groaned.   
  
'Phoenix suits you though' Carlos said quickly, reaching out for one of her hands. In the dying sun, Phoenix blushed again up to the little curls on her forehead and looked away. Good going, boy.  
  
'Well thank you Carlos Oliveira' she returned and blushed cutely again, Becca style.  
A cold blast of dread overwhelmed Carlos.  
Phoenix and Becca. Like two Goddesses. Sooner or later he had to choose.  
He was in a numbed silence as he took out his cell phone and recorded Phoenix's number, absently kissed her hand and gazed at her jogging down the path.  
  
It was nearly dusk now, and he saw Chris and Leon tramping down the well-worn path, and catching sight of Carlos kissing a dark girl's hand and watching her jog down the path.  
  
Chris had never been more dismayed in his whole life. Apart from coming face to face with the living dead, this was pretty high on the list.  
His flirtatious friend, whom he was certain had paired off with his surrogate sister Becca was openly kissing another girl. Ok, it was on the hand, but t still counted high on the rector scale.  
Cue bad teenage soap actors and cheesy music.  
Except for this wasn't fake, it was real. What the hell was Carlos playing at?  
  
Chris glanced at Leon and his face read the same thing: Complete and utter dismay.  
Gathering up all self confidence, they both marched down to Carlos who had a fake grin on his face, and was casually dusting down the back of his cargo pants.  
Before he could stop himself, Chris grabbed hold of Carlos's shoulder roughly and shook him.  
  
'What the hell you playing at?' he asked fiercely, shaking Carlos and looming over him, 5ft 10ins of heavily toned muscle.   
Carlos shook his hands free of him, and smoothed down his shirt.  
'Nothing, that concerns you' he drawled, rubbing his shoulder.   
Leon shook his head sadly and squeezed Monty. Chris banged his fist down on the park bench, and shook his head.  
Carlos shrank back a little from Chris, who was in one of the most angry moods he had seen him in. Leon said nothing but stared at him, his baby blue eyes like chips of steel. He rested his back against a tree.  
'What about Becca?' Chris demanded furiously, bristling with anger.  
'Listen Chris. Calm down. Don't blow off, hear me out' Carlos motioned form them to sit down on the park bench.  
Carlos took a deep breath and began.  
'That Girl' as you call her is Phoenix Gully. She and I just got chatting' finished Carlos lamely, dreading the question that was going to be asked next.  
  
'What about Becca?' repeated Chris, rubbing his temples and shaking his head.  
Carlos risked a glance at Leon, who had not said anything but remained coolly silent.  
'Becca and I were never dating' confirmed Carlos, not daring to meet Chris's eyes.  
  
'Hell yeah, Carlos. And I'm not screwing Claire. I saw the way you two were looking at each other at the bowling alley and heard how much fun you had on the nightshift together. And how much she adores you, gazing at you out of her grey eyes, and how your look is almost identical' said Leon softly, fingering Monty's seams.  
  
'Do you want to muck all that up?' asked Chris. 'She is not only sweet, but pretty, kind, and very intelligent. She cares about you a lot Carlos'.  
  
Carlos drummed his fingers impatiently against the bench. Weren't they getting the message at all?  
'Becca and I were never dating. She's just my close friend. She would make an ideal match for anyone, and besides, she's barely out of her teens' said Carlos exasperatedly.  
'But she's extremely mature for her age. All she's been has contributed to that, and she'll be able to help you' added Leon.  
'Also, she's probably miles smarter than your Phoenix Gully. You can tell by the names' added Chris, shaking his head.  
  
Carlos felt anger well up. These were his best friends, who were blowing off one of the most amazing girls he had ever met. They shouldn't be lecturing him, they should be congratulating him.  
Or maybe they were just jealous he had scored such a babe.  
'For one thing, Phoenix is not blonde. She's dark, and unlike other tarts, she's actually covering her flesh. And just by talking to her manner is sweet calm, intelligent and I will not have you say this about her!' retorted Carlos angrily, storming off, stamping his feet angrily.   
Carlos blindly walked off in his anger, leaving the two on the bench speechless.  
  
Chris held his head in his hands and Leon stared dismally at the ground. After a beat of silence, Chris raised his head.  
  
'You know, when I saw them together, I thought Carlos had finally decided to stop gallivanting. He looked happy, and so did she. Strange, I think I thought I knew Carlos' mused Chris.  
  
'Same here. But I'm feeling sorry for Becca now, especially with the dance so near' said Leon.  
  
'Yeah, Becca is my first priority here. She's like my surrogate sister and she's been under my wing ever since the mansion. I don't want to see her hurt' said Chris wistfully.  
Leon stood up determinedly.  
'Then we're just gonna hafta lessen the blow' he said.  
  
Chris nodded and they slapped hands, and set off in search of the heartbreaker Romeo.  
  
  
Chicky sez: Hey guys! Well sorry it took so long to put this up, but I've been holed up for a little while.  
  
What dya think of the love triangle? I hope it wasn't too melodramatic, but it's my first tester.   
  
BUM BUM BUM!!!! Plot thickens!!! Find out what happens to the Roving Romeo, his two best friends and the health spa chicks in the next chapter of Come Dance With me!  
  
  
  



	8. Bittersweet Symphony

Bittersweet Symphony  
  
  
I am Color blind  
Coffee Black and Egg White  
Pull me Out from Inside  
I am Ready  
I am Ready  
I am Ready  
I am….Fine….  
  
'Color Blind' by Counting Crows.   
  
  
  
Rebecca yawned and stretched, as she lethargically lay across a bench in the sauna room.   
She added another drop to the tank, and relaxed as the moist air soothed her tired body.  
Bliss.  
As her eyes were just closing she had had a rude awakening, from the clanging bell which signalled lunchtime. Sighing and trying to shut her eyes again and drift off, the clanging bell relentlessly clanged on.  
Realising she'd have to leave for lunch sooner or later, she made a remote effort and shifted herself up into sitting position, and stumbled her way to the doorway, two hours of sauna room climate showing.  
  
Wrapping her towel more securely around her (the towel with the health spa's emblem on), she daintily stepped into the changing room, walking on her heels to preserve her pedicure. The room was virtually empty, so she quickly claimed a cubicle and settled down to get changed.  
  
A thin smile crawled up her lips as she surveyed her brown legs and immaculate toes. This would be the perfect touch to her dance outfit, a simply dressed girl with glowing, healthy skin and a sweet smile.  
  
She pulled on her underwear, fumbling as her hands were still damp from the sauna room, and pulled her t-shirt over her head.  
The t-shirt was different from her others, being brightly coloured and having tiny capped sleeves that showed off the tops of her arms.  
The small, brightly coloured piece of fabric was different to her usual plain creations, it was a hope that on her twentieth birthday, the real Becca would come out and stun the world.  
Still, one could hope.  
She quickly zipped up her plain combats and quickly gave herself a look over in the mirror before she left.  
She registered a 19 year old girl, dressed in a tight top and worn combats. Other than a truly noticeable tan and slim waist, she looked as plain as a rag doll.  
Becca groaned slightly as she ran her hands over her shoulder length red hair, the blonde highlights showing through slightly.   
She poked her tongue out as she ran her hands through her hair to try stimulate some kind of volume, but hair remained as slack as dead fish.  
  
Picking her bag up and walking out of the room, she followed the signs that would lead her to the Health Spa Café.   
As she tramped through endless silver hallways, only stopping to pause and look at the strange pictures that adorned the walls, a slight smirk appeared on her face.  
  
A picture of a dark man, his body set in a vivid sunset and his eyes glowing darkly.  
The eyes reminded her of Carlos, whose very name made her colour up.  
  
She wondered why a guy like Carlos should be so dedicated to a girl like her.  
There were several women in the RPD who a certain flame for the Amigo, but Carlos chose her, plain old Bec, Baby of the Team.  
She entered the cafeteria and ordered her food while still dreamily thinking of those dark eyes.   
Carrying her tray and humming softly, she caught sight of Claire and hurried over to her.  
  
Claire was intermittently reading a magazine and chowing down on her yoghurt and only briefly looked up.  
She tore her eyes away from her beloved Biker Magazine and looked up at Bec.  
  
'So's what ya been up to then?' she asked dropping down to her college drawl. She absently flicked away a stray lock of hair, which had recently been cut.  
  
'Nothin' jes hanging out in the sauna room. Any longer in that heat chamber and I woulda been a dead ringer for a prune' replied Bec, digging into her sandwich with relish.  
Claire pursed up her lips.  
  
'You had a better time than me. I was lying face first on that table, which could have easily doubled up as operating table, with some guy pounding my ass, thinking it would feel good' she said, groaning as her back felt as though someone had hammered it out of place.   
  
For a moment they ate quietly, only interrupted by Claire rifling through her biker magazine.  
Bec glanced at her watch and it suddenly dawned on her that Jill was running late.  
Very late.  
Jill Valentine, organiser of the team running late? Only this would happen if….  
  
'OH MY GOD! I left Jill in the sun bed!!!!' shrieked Bec, standing up quickly and clattering her chair.  
Claire looked up from her magazine and sighed.  
'Bec, Jill wouldn't be that stupid. She's probably just stuck in the massage parlour with Rick' she said, unusually mellow.  
  
Bec clenched her fists until her knuckles showed white.   
'Claire, I LOCKED her in the sun bed. She's been in there for over TWO HOURS!' she screamed, shaking Claire who suddenly rose at realising at what had happened.  
  
'MY GOD!!! FUCK FUCK FUCK !!! she's gonna kick our asses!!! Quick, we'd better get her outta there!!' yelled Claire, as they both departed from the canteen, leaving their table topsy turvy to the amusement of the other dining people.  
  
The two girls ran quickly down the elegant hallways, horrible pictures going through their minds at the consequences that would happen when they freed Jill from the sun bed.  
It didn't look pretty.  
  
Simple minded Bec was thinking of how Jill was going to pound her and how Jill's perfect complexion would be ruined, and it would be all Bec's fault.  
  
Rambuctious Claire was afraid of her brother's wrath when presenting a lobster to him instead of his cherished girlfriend. Either, way it didn't look good.  
  
They finally reached the sun bed chamber, after which seemed an age, to find it deserted.  
All the customers had headed off to the canteen.  
Save one bed.  
  
Bec and Claire gaped liked fish and stood as still as rocks. Finally Bec broke the silence.  
'Seeing as it was me who left her there, I think it's my job to get her out' she said quietly, her hands shaking. Claire gave her a shove in the direction of the sun bed and turned her back. She didn't want to see the creation that would emerge from the sun bed. No Way.  
  
Rebecca shuffled over to the sun bed and drew back to bolts. She lifted the cover off and briefly shielded her eyes as she switched off the rays.  
Claire stumbled up expecting the worst.   
  
A low breathy groan was heard from the bed, very much like a zombie.  
Claire covered her eyes.  
Jill's body was an angry, itching red. Blisters bubbled up and her skin looked raw.  
Jill, feeling the unbearable heat had gone sat up and mumbled something incoherent, and then started gasping and choking, her arms flailing.  
Claire was suddenly jerked into realisation and shook Bec who was standing stock still.  
'Bec get help!!!' she shrieked and shook the bewildered girl's shoulders. Bec was paralysed at the sight of Jill, and needed to be shook hard to be brought back to reality.  
'Better get help, need ambulance' she choked out and spun around, running to find help.  
Claire grasped one of Jill's burned hands, and waited for help to come.  
  
  
Chris glanced in his mirror to see the moody pair of eyes looking at him. They caught his gaze and stared back at him angrily, until Chris was forced to blink and turn away with an angry huff.  
Leon sat in the front seat, his fingers absently examining the stitching on Monty while his mind thought of something else.  
Chris had told him that he should ignore Carlos at all costs. The guy was acting like a bottom feeding, scum sucking pile of puke. Leon knew that Chris was extremely angry with Carlos, and that he felt he should protect Becca. Leon was pretty angry with him too. Becca was a sweet, vulnerable girl and would give him the loyalty and love that a tart could never offer.   
Leon was musing over this when the sound of 'Mission Impossible 2' ring tone came blaring out, interrupting his thoughts.   
Chris grunted and reached for his cell phone, which was tucked in his jeans pocket and flipped the cover off.  
'Hello?' he said into the receiver.  
'Chris come here quickly!!!!!' yelped the person at the other end.  
'Who is this?' asked Chris, using his left hand to steer the car.  
'It's Claire, just get to Robertsville General Hospital quickly!!!' she yelled.  
'Why, what happened? 'asked Chris quickly, alert from the unusual tone of Claire's voice. But Claire had already rung off.  
  
Chris pocketed his phone and did a swift u-turn.   
'Wooow!' yelled Leon and Carlos as they were jerked out of their seats as Chris quickly executed a u-turn.  
'What was that for?' asked Carlos angrily, as he rubbed the place on his head, which he had bumped. Chris scowled at him.  
'I just got a frantic call from Claire for us to get to the hospital quickly' he explained, gripped the steering wheel so tightly his knuckles showed white.  
'Hope everything's okay' said Leon, as horrible visions floated through his head at the speed of light.  
Carlos was silenced and sat back in his seat, dismally thinking what could have happened.  
'Hold on Tight' commanded Chris, as his revved up the engine and sped down the highway at 70mph.  
Both men strapped their belts in and held on tightly to the hand rests as Chris drove like a rally driver, expertly turning swiftly and overtaking cars.   
They careered into the driveway of the hospital and parked directly in front of it.  
The three men leapt out of the car and hurried to the emergency department, ignoring the nurses calls of telling them to stop running.  
They charged up to the front desk and find Bec and Claire waiting for them, both looking nervous and on the edge.  
  
Leon felt relieve wash over him and hugged Claire tightly, and held her hand.  
'The doctors are with her now' said Bec quietly, pointing to a curtained cubicle where Chris could clearly see the movement of bustling doctors and nurses from behind the ghostly white curtains.  
'What actually happened?' asked Carlos, trying not to look at Bec's tanned waist too closely. He kept his eyes on his feet instead.  
'I locked Jill in one of the sun beds' stuttered Bec feebly, shuffling her feet, not daring to look up.  
'And?' asked Chris, his eyes glued on the cubicle, fists clenched.  
'I for, for..' stuttered Bec , tongue tied.  
'Are you gonna get this sentence out?' asked Leon gently, but firmly.  
'I forgot about her' finished Bec, near tears.  
  
Several doctors emerged from curtained cubicle carrying various medical tools, and a couple of nurses bustling about.  
'You free to go see her now' they told Claire.  
'Will she have to stay here long?' asked Bec, a quiver in her voice.  
'No she can leave in an hour's time, she will have to apply this lotion everyday for the next month and see her doctor every week to get checked. She'll be fine' said the doctor kindly, noticing how pale Becca was.  
'Thank You, Doctor' added Chris quietly.  
  
Once the doctor had left, they went into to see Jill.  
Jill's body was covered in bandages and dressings, and being used to this procedure the gang wasn't too fazed.  
'Hey Guys' croaked Jill, 'Come to see the newest addition to the aquarium?'.  
Leon bounced on the bed, but slid off as he saw Jill wince.  
'Well, I don't usually pay attention to fish, but your one helluva a nice one and I couldn't resist' he drawled, receiving a glare from both Redfields.  
Claire frowned at Leon and jabbed him in the ribs.  
'So when are you gonna look like normal again?' ventured Carlos.  
'About a month's time, and the dance is next week….'groaned Jill, shifting slightly from under the weight of dressings layered on her body.  
  
Bec opened her mouth to say something, but shut it again quickly. Her eyes directed at the floor. Chris felt a rush of sympathy for her, and patted her shoulder.  
'Hey guys, Jill needs rest, we'll hang here for an hour' said Chris briskly, bustling Leon, Claire and Carlos out before they could say a word. Once the door was shut, Leon turned to Claire and dragged her off to the coffee machine, leaving Chris and Carlos in the waiting area.  
  
Carlos's face was still in it's sulky pout, which Chris had noticed had become even glummer since seeing Bec. Chris decided to be the first one to break the uncomfortable silence.  
  
'I hope Jill won't be too hard on Bec' said Chris, glancing at the cubicle.  
  
'Jill isn't like that. She knows Bec's sorry 'replied Carlos curtly, studying his fingers.  
Chris knew that Carlos would never confront the issue unless he was made to. Chris didn't want to avoid the issue anymore.  
  
'Carlos, I hope you tell Becca soon' he finally said, standing up and regarding Carlos.  
  
'About what?' drawled Carlos, pretending to be bored, but Chris noted the way his knuckles were clenched tightly.  
  
'Stop avoiding the goddamn issue! Tell her about Phoenix, tell her before the dance so she'll have time to get over it!' said Chris fiercely, pushing at Carlos roughly. Chris felt anger rise up in him at the thought of Sweet Becca being hurt, Bec who never did anything wrong.  
  
'I will, man! You guys seem to think of me as some low-down, messed up love rat that takes pleasure in hurting girls! That's not me! I'm Carlos Oliveira, THE Ladies' Man, I don't hang around for long, it's my trademark' growled Carlos, standing up to face Chris, at a loss because Chris towered over him massively.   
  
This was more than Chris could take. He breathed in deeply, trying to conquer the anger that burned inside, and restraining himself from beating the crap outta The Spanish Amigo.  
  
'You Goddamn Fool! Anyone could see you were happy wit Becca, if you don't tell her soon about Phoenix, I will beat the shit outta you, because Bec don't deserve to be hurt' shouted Chris, feeling his fingers grip the fabric of Carlos's shirt, and the eyes' of the passers-by on them. Chris let go of Carlos, and ran a hand through his hair. With a final glare at the glowering Spanish Amigo, he stalked off to find Claire and Leon.  
  
  
Meanwhile Leon had broken the news of Carlos's new date and received the appropriate response from Claire.  
  
As soon as he had told her, Claire had screamed and thrown her coffee at Leon. Through the haze of steam and the scalding hot coffee that was running down his neck, he managed to get the rest of the story through.  
  
'Chris and I woulda stopped him if we'd been there, and by the time we'd arrived it was already too late.' Explained Leon, reaching out to hold Claire's hand.  
  
Claire sighed and rested her head against coffee machine trying to make sense of Carlos's actions. Carlos had met another girl at the park, and was obviously hoping to take her to the dance instead of Becca. She tapped the toe of her boot against the vinyl floor, and wondered why everything the gang did together ended up being warped and messed up. Nothing would ever run to plan.  
  
'Poor Becca. She's so excited about this dance as well, now she has no date, why did this have to happen to her' said Claire unhappily, not wanting to picture Bec's face when she was told about Carlos's new Ladee.   
  
'You and me both. Chris was furious with Carlos for doing this to her, and I bet he's giving him a piece of his mind right now,' said Leon, giving Claire's hand a gentle squeeze.  
  
Both looked up when they heard the clatter of hiking boots on the vinyl floor, and Chris rounded the corner, his brow furrowed and his jaw set at an angle.  
  
'Ya give him a piece of Redfield Anger?' asked Leon, taking in Chris's angry disposition.  
  
'Sure did, but I doubt it did an ounce of good. Carlos just better tell Bec, or I'll pound him to a pulp' said Chris in resigned tones.  
  
'Better go back, or Jill will think the coffee machine ate us' said Claire. The two guys nodded and began to walk back to the wards.  
  
Jill groaned as she regarded herself in the bathroom mirror. Her skin was just one big angry red rash. Jill silently vowed not to ever set foot in a sunbed ever again.   
  
'Wild horses wouldn't drag me back to that health spa' murmured Jill, as she smoothed down her shirt. She could vaguely remember how the warmth on her body had turned into raging, unrelenting heat. The sweat pouring down her body, and the way her fingers madly clawed around for the deflector button, and how she hadn't been able to find it. The intense heat had lulled her into submission, the endless light blinding her and she had slipped into a semi-conscious state, mumbling incoherently, and the parched feeling of her mouth.  
  
Jill cursed her luck at having this happen a week before the dance. Whatever the gang tried to do, always ended up with something warped and strange happening, and this had confirmed her theory. She wondered what the guys had gotten up to, while the girls had indulged in beautifying themselves. She still hadn't figured out what their motives were yet. Jill figured that they were up to something, and weren't telling them as it was going to be an exciting surprise or something, which they would say no to immediately. Her mind was leaning towards the latter.  
  
However, Jill had more important things on her mind. Namely, what the hell was she going to do for dance? Her skin would never be back to normal in time, perhaps never. She couldn't just not go, as Chris had also been looking forward to it as well.  
Decisions. Chris was a higher up at the Robertsville PD, so she would probably not be laughed at. And she was, second in command to him. Jill decided she wasn't going to let her skin get in the way of having a good time, so pushing away all further doubts, she braced herself and left the bathroom.   
  
Carlos was mulling over what Chris had said to him, when he felt someone touch him on the shoulder. Not wanting to see who it was, he looked up slowly. To his surprise, it was Phoenix.   
  
'Carlos, what are you doing here?' she asked gently, noticing his downcast face. 'Is someone sick?'.  
  
'Yeah a friend of mine was rushed here, they're gonna be fine though' said Carlos, brightening up. Phoenix was in a nurse's uniform, and was carrying a clipboard. Her dark red hair was tied back in a loose plait, and her dark brown eyes looked into his softly. Carlos felt his heart flip. Hello Nurse….  
  
'So Phoenix Gully is a nurse?' he asked playfully tweaking one of her curls.  
  
'Indeed. I'm on a night shift tonight' she said, batting her eyelashes sweetly at Carlos.  
  
'Playing it coy. She wants it…come one Nurse' thought Carlos.  
'I've been thinking a lot about you. Do you want to come out sometime? There's a dance at the RPD next weekend?' said Carlos smoothly, catching hold of one her hands and squeezing it, maintaining eye contact with those dark brown eyes. He had played his trump card, and it looked successful.   
  
'That would be great' she said coyly, treating him to a smile and displaying straight, white teeth. 'Pick me up around seven?'.  
  
'Yeah. Phoenix, you really have made me happy' he said softly, pulling her closer so he could stare even more deeply into those eyes. She dropped her hands so they rested around his waist, and she tilted her head. Carlos leaned in for the kiss, when he heard a strangled squeak from behind him.  
  
Turning around, he saw Bec's dismayed face and Jill's bewildered one. Bec's expression was that of complete shock and he saw the colour drain from her cheeks and her grey eyes fill.   
  
'Becca, wait!' he yelled, moving away from Phoenix and trying to catch hold of Bec. She walked quickly past him, her lips set and her head held high, she dodged out of the door and started to run, until Carlos could only pick out the flame red hair from a distance.   
  
  
Chicky Sez: BUM BUM BUMMMMM!!!! The long awaited chapter has arrived! Sorry it took so long for this chapter to be put up, but I lost my author's account in summer and only just got it back this week. I've been away in Italy and India the whole of summer and was in Belgium of most of Christmas, so know I'll get back to the drawing board.  
  
Wonder what'll happen next? The trials of life and love will be continued in the next chapter of Come Dance With Me….stay tuned!  
  
Sayonara  
  
xXx Chicky Tifa xXx 


	9. Acceptance and Determination

Acceptance and Determination  
  
Emptiness is Loneliness,  
  
And Loneliness is Cleanliness,  
  
And Cleanliness is Godliness,  
  
And God is empty, just like me...  
  
`Zero' by The Smashing Pumpkins.  
  
Becca didn't stop running until she came to the small wood that surrounded Robertsville General Hospital. She stopped, breathing in deeply and realising that her feet had carried her so far. The sun was starting to set, and the whole wood was bathed in grey light, the scene bringing a shudder of remembrance of the Arkclay Mountains back to her. Bec violently shook her head and sank down onto a log to collect her thoughts and get her bearings together.  
  
First and foremost there was Carlos. She had been pretty certain that he had cared for her, and the certainty at the time had frightened her a little and made her wary. Nobody, No Guy, had ever paid as much attention to her as Carlos had done. At first she had been wary to whether he was true about his feelings for her, but she had told herself to follow heart instead of believing the voice inside her head.  
  
And then things had seemed clear. Carlos did care for her. Becca was content and peaceful, dreaming of the possible happiness to come, but a little frightened as she had never done anything like this before.  
  
Becca cursed herself, for not listening to the little voice in her head. If she'd listened to it, then none of this shit would've happened.  
  
"But then again, you wouldn't have had so much fun at the bowling alley, or on your late night shift, you wouldn't have experienced any of that at all" whispered the little voice in her head persistently. Bec shut her eyes and began to sob. Letting the tears of unhappiness and sorrow flow down her cheeks, angry at her lack of insight and angry at the fact another girl had gotten her Carlos.  
  
HER Carlos.  
  
The sobs racked her body, her shoulders shaking and cried until she thought there would be nothing left inside her. When her sobs had subsided, Bec sat up and looked around. The sky was pitch black now, with only the glimmer of the moon illuminating her path. A tree loomed down on her, with long, finger like branches.  
  
Branches reaching out to get her...  
  
Bec shook her head violently and told herself to pull her head out of her ass and start moving. Everyone would probably be worrying about her, and she didn't want to cause a stir and make Carlos think he'd upset her. No way in hell she was gonna let that man get around her.  
  
"You already did, Jackass" her mind told her. "Running off into God knows where with a face like death might have given him the slightest hint that you'd been hurt".  
  
With a sigh, Bec vigorously rubbed her eyes, dusted herself down and marched purposely back to the hospital.  
  
`Carlos, did you see which direction she took off in?' asked Chris tersely, his fingers gripping the steering wheel until his knuckles showed white. Leon could see Chris was trying to keep cool, and was doing a great job of it, but he seemed noticeably on the edge. They all were. Lil' Becca had run off into God Knows Where, and anything could have happened to her.....  
  
"Don't think about those bodies..." his mind had warned him viciously. But it was too late, the velvet night and pale moon reminded him of what had exactly happened when they had stormed Umbrella.  
  
"Big Ole Barry following right up behind him, His Claire gripping her gun fiercely as they crept through the copse surrounding the Umbrella HQ..." the picture in his mind played through once again, and Leon swore he could breath the crisp night air in his lungs, the comforting feel of the Magnum in his hands and the icy shock that had climbed up his spine when his flashlight had picked up the two fallen objects, propped up by a tree...  
  
"A young girl, with flowing red hair slumped against the bough of an elm. Three ragged holes in her chest where the pointed bullet of shot gun hand pieced her skin, and embedded itself in the caverns of her heart...."  
  
Leon shut his eyes, trying to block the image from entering his mind, and tried to focus on the journey ahead but with no avail, his mind forced him to rekindle those buried memories....  
  
"Another young girl was slouched against the dark bark of the elm tree as well. A single shot protruding on her forehead, where a carefully aimed bullet had blazed through her head, before embedding itself in her brain..."  
  
Leon clenched his knuckles, and gritted his teeth and tried to keep his head free of all memories of that triumphant mission.  
  
He had never figured out why that image had ceased to haunt him, as on numerous missions he had witnessed many encounters of the cadaver side.  
  
Many of them had been even more brutally mutilated, some so disfigured that is impossible to tell whether the mess of blood and entrails was actually a human.  
  
But the recognition he saw in the two bodies he had found outside the Umbrella HQ was remarkable.  
  
"Small and well built, with a fine head of silky red hair...and large grey eyes, which were now filled with eternal terror" whispered the voice in her head.  
  
The girl had reminded him of Becca. Becca with the infinite calm and smart brains that the murdered girl could've possessed.  
  
"Stop thinking that, or it will happen" His mind told him savagely.  
  
Leon had barely cleared the image from his mind when he felt someone shaking his arm firmly. He turned around to see Claire staring at him, her green eyes calm but fear showing in her eyes.  
  
Leon, you all right there?' asked Claire anxiously, gripping his hand comfortingly.  
  
`I wasn't for a moment, but I am now' returned Leon steadily, gratefully accepting the outstretched hand, and giving it a squeeze.  
  
Claire leaned her head on his shoulder, and talked in low undertones to Leon.  
  
`We're all worried about her, honey, we're trying our best' Claire's assured voice silenced the taunting ones in his head.  
  
`I know that. I just hope she's not done anything irrational' replied Leon, feeling his throat being a little dry, but his words coming out coherently.  
  
`We all hope that' whispered Claire, smiling at him weakly.  
  
Chris abruptly braked, jolting everyone in car. He switched off the engine and turned around.  
  
`We've been everywhere we can think of, this is the last place we have to search' he said, his face pale and slightly drawn. Leon turned around and saw why Chris looked so tense.  
  
A dark wood loomed in front of them, trees dripping with shadowed foes....  
  
Leon heard a gasp escape from Jill.  
  
`Becca could be wandering around in there, with nobody to help her!' Jill fairly shrieked, her blue eyes flashing with fear.  
  
`Of course this wouldn't have happened if Carlos hadn't decided to play doctors and nurses' said Claire in a low voice, that was audible to all in the car.  
  
Chris banged his fists on the dashboard, and fiercely grabbed Carlos.  
  
`Damn you, Man! Lil Becca could be in that hellhole!' shouted Chris, colour flooding into his pale cheeks. `All because you decided to be a Roving Romeo and hurt a poor girl's feelings!'  
  
With all his rage let out, Chris delivered a punishing blow to Carlos's cheek before Leon could hold him back.  
  
Carlos recoiled, and was about deliver a blow of his own when Leon caught hold of his arms and separated both of them. Carlos struggled briefly, but gave in and sank down in his seat, breathing hard. He spoke for the first time since they had piled into the car to search for Becca.  
  
`Okay, I am the jackass who started all this. If I had told Becca before, this may not have happened. It is my fault. But I'm entitled to have my own choice in women, so don't sue me for that !' shouted Carlos, opening the car door and swinging it open. `Let's stop sitting on our asses and start looking for her!'  
  
Carlos slammed the car door and began to walk to the entrance of the wood. Jill followed after him, jogging, her eyes scanning the area. Chris threw open the door and started to jog to the entrance. Leon found himself swinging his door open and gripping the heavy bulk of his Beretta.  
  
Leon knew this Phoenix chick would cause trouble. It was on the cards. The name said it all, the bird that rose from its ashes to reek havoc upon the world....  
  
`This is Chaos' said Claire, walking beside him, training her flashlight on the wood they had nearly reached. `Goddamn Carlos'.  
  
`Don't blame the guy too much. He had no idea Becca would come walking round and see him like that. And he is allowed to choose who he wants to be with, but he just acted as if he didn't give a fuck about Lil' Becca's feelings' said Leon levelly, trudging towards the wood.  
  
`He better sort it all out before the dance' grumbled Claire, have tripping on a root underfoot.  
  
A shout from ahead made Leon look up and pick up his pace quickly.  
  
They had either found something, or run into trouble. Leon saw Claire sprinting ahead of him, and increased his speed.  
  
As he neared, he saw Chris with his arm around a skinny, dirty looking redhead.  
  
"Becca!"  
  
`Thank God you're safe!' shrieked Claire, running over to hug her friend. Bec flinched slightly when she saw Carlos, but in the darkness, Leon could see the determined look on her face.  
  
"Attagirl!  
  
Jill was inspecting her now, while Chris patted her shoulder gently. Carlos hung around behind them; his hands plunged in his pockets, his head looking down.  
  
`You sure you're Okay?' questioned Jill anxiously, her brow furrowed.  
  
`I'm fine' assured Bec, not daring to meet Jill's eyes. `I'm kind of tired. Can we go home now?' asked Bec, a tremor in her voice.  
  
`Sure, honey' said Chris, leading the way back to the car.  
  
Leon felt Claire grip his hand and jerk her head towards Bec.  
  
Leon shook his head and shrugged. Bec looked far from `okay'.  
  
Her eyes were no more than slits, and were an angry, vicious red and the corners of her lips were turned down. Her newly tanned skin seemed to be pallid.  
  
Leon sighed and trudged on towards the car.  
  
The silence in the car on the way back into Robertsville Residential Area was solid. You could cut the tension with a knife. Jill sighed, and placed her hands on her burning cheeks and tried to cool them down. The waist of her jeans was rubbing her hips and her whole face felt like it was on fire.  
  
Jill shifted her weight awkwardly in the car, and tried to angle her body more comfortably. It was a bit of a squash in the backseat of the car, her, Leon, Claire and Becca , with Carlos and Chris in the front.  
  
A very silent Chris, who had his eyes focused on the road, and a sore looking Carlos who was cradling his cheek, which had a purple bruise coming up along his cheekbone.  
  
Claire was asleep on Leon's shoulder, worn out with fatigue and tired out from her eventful day; her soft breathing was the only noise in the silent car.  
  
Leon was staring straight ahead, but turned around and his gaze caught Jill's. He looked concernedly at Becca and nodded towards Jill.  
  
"I'm not the only one worried about her"  
  
Becca had in all respects looked a wreck when they had spotted her walking out from that hellish copse. She had looked sane, and very composed, but her eyes swollen and puffy. They had dark smudges under them, making them look like two bruised moons, and she had a streak of dirt coming down the side of one her pale cheeks. The corner of her lips turned down, and looked so drained, as if all the blood had been drawn from them.  
  
Jill figured that Bec had excepted what had happened and was dealing it in her own way. There was a definite determined look on her face when she had come marching out of that wood, and Jill was glad to see she was trying not to let Carlos get her down.  
  
Carlos...  
  
Unlike Bec, Jill couldn't read Carlos at all. When they had been in Racoon together, he had been flirty and caring in equal measure. He had come across to her as an arrogant, stuck up guy who knew of his vast capabilities in the field of women.  
  
But he had shown to her the deeper side of him and when he had carefully concocted the antidote for the virus, he had saved her life.  
  
Carlos was an enigma, wrapped in an enigma, encased in a book. Jill had been happy for him when he and Bec had found each other, as it meant that Becca was happy, Carlos was happy, and the two loose ends were tied up neatly.  
  
Carlos had been attached to her, and it had been terrible trying to tell him that she didn't want to return his affections. She had wanted him to be happy with another girl, so she wouldn't have to face him being unhappy and on his own.  
  
There and then, Jill decided to have it out with Carlos and to introduce Becky to another man.  
  
`Thanks, for the ride' said Bec weakly, as the car pulled up outside her house.  
  
Chris parked the car and got out of the car, and walked Bec up to the doorstep. He hugged Bec, taking her by surprise.  
  
`If you need to talk about anything, or need any help, call me and Jill' he said confidentially into her ear.  
  
Bec felt her lips tug up into a small smile.  
  
`Thanks Chris, your like the big brother I never had' she whispered, suddenly feeling like she was going to cry.  
  
`I would say you were like the little sister I never had, but I think Claire would take offence!' said Chris, chuckling slightly.  
  
`Night Becca'  
  
`Night Chris'.  
  
Becca let herself into the small-detached house, and turned on the lights. The rooms were painted in a glowing orange colour, and it felt welcoming and homely and in the cosy little house.  
  
Bec automatically hung up her denim jacket and shoulder bag, and slipped off her sneakered feet, and sank into the easy chair in front of the fireplace. She caught sight of a picture of Carlos on her fireplace and though she might burst into tears again, but swallowed them down determinedly.  
  
`Pull yourself together. Don't let that Spanish Amigo get to you. You're gonna go to that Dance, and you are going to have a good time. Show that guy you are no pushover, and you will bring home the hottest single guy there you can find. And it will Phoenix burning in those ashes, not you.' Becca lectured herself fiercely, as she walked purposefully to the fridge and got out a can of Budweiser.  
  
As she cracked open the cool can of beer, she toasted to the new, reformed her.  
  
Carlos sat staring at his can of unopened Budweiser. He figured it would be better to drown the pain with alcohol, but he couldn't bring himself to crack open the can.  
  
His thoughts were interrupted by the telephone ringing, so he pulled himself out of his chair and wandered over to answer it.  
  
`Hello' said Carlos, his voice bored.  
  
`Hello, is that Carlos?' said the voice on the other end.  
  
`Yes, Carlos Oliveira speaking' he replied.  
  
`Carlos? It's Phoenix.' said the voice.  
  
`Oh, hey, how's it going?' said Carlos automatically, staring at the ceiling.  
  
`I was about to ask you the same thing' countered Phoenix levelly. `What happened today at the hospital with that redheaded girl?'.  
  
`Oh, Becca. She's a friend.' said Carlos evasively, trying desperately to think up an explanation for his sudden departure after Bec.  
  
`I figured that much. What happened between you two?' asked Phoenix.  
  
"She doesn't miss much," thought Carlos, trying to think up a reply.  
  
`She's a close friend. Nothing much happened between us, but I guess it shocked her when she saw us' said Carlos.  
  
`I just wanted to check, I wouldn't like to have poached another girl's guy' replied Phoenix, a slight edge to her voice, Carlos detected a note in her voice that suggested that she wasn't all that sure about what he had just said.  
  
To be honest with himself, he wasn't sure either.  
  
`We're still on for next Saturday?' asked Carlos brightly, changing the subject.  
  
`Yeah, of course. I'm really looking forward to it. My last dance was my high school prom, and that wasn't a night to remember' said Phoenix, slightly sadly.  
  
`What happened?' asked Carlos, starting to feel better.  
  
`I found my boyfriend making out with my teacher' said Phoenix, disgustedly.  
  
`Oh that musta been nasty. I promise to make this experience more better than the last' quipped Carlos, drawling in a deep purr.  
  
`I'm sure you will, hun. Night Carlos.' said Phoenix in her sweet singsong.  
  
`Night Phoenix' replied Carlos, hanging up thoughtfully.  
  
He had broken the heart of girl he had liked, but he had rediscovered someone else. Carlos decided to regain his friendship with Bec, or salvage what was left of it. He was too young to chained down to someone, and he was the fast-living, lady's man.  
  
Carlos mused some more before trudging to bed, dreaming of things to come.  
  
Leon shifted his position in the car and tried to gain some feeling back into his shoulders, without waking the sleeping the nymph who was warmed with slumber, a contented smile on her mild features.  
  
`Claire's out like a light' said Chris from the driver's seat, briefly turning around to look at his sister.  
  
`Claire's all worn out from the beautifying' said Jill, examining her pointed talons.  
  
`She's probably dreaming of motorcycles to come' said Leon fondly, gazing down at the auburn head.  
  
`Well, the biker girl needs her bike' quipped Chris cheerfully, whispering so as not to wake her up.  
  
There was a momentary silence, which was broken by Leon.  
  
`Damn Carlos' he muttered angrily, pursing his lips.  
  
`I showed you how I felt, with my fists' said Chris with a hint of tension in his voice.  
  
`It's his decision, and I know Bec won't let it get her down' said Jill.  
  
`Sure, as long as he apologises to her' muttered Leon, moving his head slightly, as Claire's hair was tickling his face. At his slight movement Claire clasped his shirt collar tightly with both hands and held on tightly.  
  
Leon squirmed as Claire held onto him like a limpet, Chris turned around and saw him wriggling around with Claire latched onto his shirt collar.  
  
`She's not gonna let go now!' he chuckled, as Claire squeezed his collar so tight that Leon's cheeks were starting to go blue.  
  
`She's probably gripping onto the Bike, riding the final lap' giggled Jill as Leon shook himself like a dog.  
  
`I was thinking of getting her one for her birthday, but if this is what I have to endure, then I'll buy her one tomorrow!' exclaimed Leon, trying to get feeling back into his shoulder.  
  
`Claire the unfathomable, squeezes Kennedy into submission in her sleep! Ladies and Gentleman, she has won the battle again!' announced Chris, grinning and trying to keep his eyes on the road.  
  
Chris drove up into Claire and Leon's driveway, navigating carefully around the shrubs lining the cobblestone drive. Chris braked and Leon tried to get out.  
  
`Okay....easy now....' He murmured, orientating himself and trying to think of the best way to lift Claire out without waking her up. He swung both his legs out of the car and lifted her out, but he accidentally bumped Claire's head on the car's roof.  
  
At that bump, Claire gave a jerk and the shudder made Leon drop her on the drive, landing sharply on her backside. Claire sat in a daze of confusion while the onlookers doubled over with laughter.  
  
`Wha-what happening?' she asked sleepily, her green eyes barely open, rubbing her eyes slightly.  
  
With great presence of mind, Leon scooped her up again and promptly tripped over and Claire went flying into a bush. The onlookers now had tears running down their faces, and Chris quickly went to retrieve his sister from thorny bush where she was now presiding.  
  
Quickly and quietly, they got her inside and onto the sofa with a blanket pulled over her muddy body, and they yanked her hiking boots off. Jill stored her boots in the cupboard and wiped a smudge of dirt off Claire's face with a tissue before leaving to drive home with Chris.  
  
Leon walked tiredly through the kitchen and cracked open a can of Budweiser, wincing as his groin strain had under gone another Claire treatment.  
  
Chris and Jill drove home uneventfully, Jill dozing in the front seat while Chris drove up to their house in the West part of Robertsville Residential Area. Chris parked the car, and decided to wake Jill up instead of risking carrying her out, as if Jill ended up in a bush, she wouldn't take it as lightly as Claire might have.  
  
Grasping Jill's hand the two walked up to the house and walked in the front door, stopping in the small porch area to remove their coats and shoes, and when they entered the sitting room Jill flopped down onto the Loveseat.  
  
`What an eventful day' said Chris yawning and sinking down next to Jill on the love seat.  
  
The couple sat silently for a while, Chris staring up at the ceiling and Jill tiredly resting her head on the headrest of the cosy seat.  
  
`Oww,' muttered Jill as she changed position, her burnt skin raw and tender to the touch.  
  
Chris heeding the needs of his girlfriend brought her an ice pack from the fridge and installed her on the couch with a glass of water, and sat down beside her.  
  
`Do you think you could ever love a Lobster, Redfield?' asked Jill sleepily, as the ice began to numb the soreness of her burns.  
  
`Only a lobster that goes by the name Jill Red-, I mean Valentine' he replied quietly, his cheeks reddening at his mistake.  
  
Jill manages to cock up an eyebrow, despite the obvious discomfort it causes.  
  
`But then again, would Jill Valentine ever become Jill Redfield?' she asked dozily, but a distinctive sharpness in her voice.  
  
`It might be a possibility' he said cheekily. `Come on, Jill let's go to bed'.  
  
`Chris, this has turned out to be one hell of a day' yawned Jill as they walked upstairs to bed.  
  
Chicky Sez: Here ya go guys, voila! U like? Sorry this took so long, but I've been busy with a couple of interviews and selling the grand piano o_O. Later! 


	10. Revival Valley Girl

Revival Valley Girl  
  
I don't wanna wait,  
For our lives to be over,  
I want to know right now what will it be,  
Will it be yes or will be….  
Sorry……  
  
I Don't Wanna Wait, By Paula Cole.   
  
  
Becca drove up into the RPD Car Park, her mind full of determination. She wasn't going to show Carlos she was upset, she was going to be unfazed, but not exactly a pushover. Becca thought holding grudges was a waste of time.  
  
She strode confidently into the building, nodding at the other officers, with her head held up high. She approached the STARs Office and peeked in the door. She saw Carlos talking to a couple of the others, and all her confidence melted away and she found herself crouched behind the Statue of Abraham Lincoln and the taste of Murray's Trophy polish in her mouth.   
She tensed herself up and found herself into the brown eye's of Barry Burton, who had an amused twinkle in his eyes, but a solemn face.  
  
'I didn't know that anyone else used this as a hiding place' chuckled Barry, hauling Becky up to her feet and dusting her down. Becky felt her cheeks turn a deeper shade of red.  
  
'Umm, I was thinking about something' stuttered Becky, finding it hard to meet his eyes.  
  
'I woulda thought the Lady's Room woulda been a better choice. No trophy polish or cobwebs,' replied Barry, plucking a cobweb out of Becky's hair. 'Now will you tell why you had the sudden urge to run the fifty yard dash when you approached the Office?' he asked kindly, placing a fatherly hand on Becky's fiery head.  
  
'I thought nobody saw??' mumbled Becky, staring at her feet.  
  
'Me and Chris thought you might've done a runner' said Barry. 'Come back when you've done your thinking'. And with that, he gave her a understanding smile and sauntered back to the Office.  
  
'Pull your goddamn head out of your ass, and get yourself in that Office' Becky told herself fiercely, shaking her head. She could hear the sound of laughter, and of Jill relating her story about her burned skin, and about Claire's new motorcycle.  
She threw her embarrassment aside and strode in confidently. She couldn't help noticing everyone turned to look at her when she walked in.  
  
'They're laughing at my bad luck….'glowered Becca, and she was going to do her dash to Abraham Lincoln again, when Chris caught her eye and rapidly called the Office to order.  
  
'Okay. Today Police Chief Donaldson has requested that the Bravos do some break in training. You will be using the laser guns and packs.' Said Chris, with forced authority.  
  
The Bravos departed, some curiously looking at Becca, Chris was glad to see her stare straight back at them, and he laughed inside as he noticed she still had a cobweb stuck to her back.  
  
'Leon, Jill and Barry, the RPD need you to act as extra back up today, if anything arises' said Chris, looking at the three competent Alphas. 'So head to the control room, and await further instructions'.  
  
The three left the room, Jill plucking the loose cobweb off Becca much to Becca's annoyance. Leon hobbled out of the room, his lips tensed up, with Barry following close behind.   
  
'Carlos and Claire, to the Choppers to test fly them and make sure they're in order' said Chris, nodding to the two sitting in the front row.  
  
They left, both of them ignoring each other, to the Hangers.   
  
'Becky, you and I have some paperwork to go over' said Chris kindly. Becky nodded and felt a surge of relief go over her, and was glad that it was just her and Chris in the room, and that she didn't have to face any of the Bravos' inquiring stares.   
  
Becky scooped up her pen and went to sit at Chris's desk at the front of the room. Chris plucked the remaining cobweb off her head and ruffled her hair.   
  
'Did someone visit Abraham Lincoln today?' asked Chris kindly.  
  
'I did' grimaced Becca. 'Was it that noticeable?'  
  
'Not very. Barry and I were on the lookout for it' replied Chris, tapping his pen on the table.  
  
'Ermm, what did it look like?' ventured Becky, red-faced.  
  
'We just saw ya peek in and do a runner, nothing else' grinned Chris. 'But your gonna have to talk to him sooner or later'.  
  
'I will. I'm not going to kid myself, saying I'm not angry, but I'm just going to move on' said Becky confidently.   
  
'That's my Becca. Now let's go through the Ammunition lists' said Chris, clapping her on the back.   
  
  
Claire stormed to the hanger, intent on getting as far away from Carlos as possible. The Spanish Amigo had driven her nuts and she wished she had been placed in Control Room than with him. She wished she could divert the plane into a tree or make a getaway on her motorcycle, but hell she was stuck with him.  
  
'Damnnit, Claire, we've been placed together, try to make the most of it!' yelled Carlos exasperatedly as Claire slammed the door of the hanger in his face and proceeded to make an unnecessary clatter with the tools.   
  
'Because!' shouted Claire, waving a spanner and hammer threateningly in the air making Carlos cower from her.  
  
'Yeah, what?' asked Carlos, ducking the hammer, raising his arms up to shield his face.  
  
'Because you've got your own head so far up your damned ass!' shrieked Claire, putting the tools down and grabbing the keys for the door to chopper.  
  
'Is that why? Because I've got my head shoved up my ass? That's rich coming from biker girl who has hers shoved up the exhaust pipe of her Harley!!!!' yelled Carlos, storming after Claire.  
  
'Better than up my own ass!' bellowed Claire, checking the fuel tank.   
  
'Claire, just tell me why!' said Carlos, slamming his hand down on the chopper.  
  
'You already know why, dumbass!' shouted Claire, screwing the fuel tank's lid back on.  
  
'Becca? But what the hell could I do?' said Carlos angrily, picking up a hose and preparing to wash down the sides of the chopper.  
  
'You ran after Phoenix. You broke her heart!' screamed Claire, also picking up a hose, but instead of washing the chopper's sides down, she aimed the hose at him full blast.   
  
Carlos was about to say something, but was smothered by the flood of water, and Claire thought the most pleasing sight was of Carlos standing there, dripping wet and cold. Carlos turned his hose on and aimed it at her, but she had dodged round the other side and was blasting him with a torrent of water from the tail of chopper.  
  
'I hate you!!!!!!' she screamed, as he finally caught her and soaked her to the skin.  
  
'I'm only a goddamn human!' he retaliated, turning his hose on full blast.  
  
'Womaniser!' she squealed, attacking from the underside now.  
  
'Judgemental!' he shouted, blasting her repeatedly.   
  
They both sank to the floor, panting with excitement and fatigue. Claire turned to Carlos and with the finishing blow, slapped him hard around the face. Carlos flinched as it was his bruised side, and he cowered away from Claire who stared down at him and grasped his collar roughly.   
  
'Now you listen to me! You may not think it was so big, but I do!, yes sirree, I bloody well do. Now you better make an effort to apologise to Becky and be nice to her, or you'll hear it from all of us! Got it?' she asked, shaking the dripping Carlos hard.  
  
'Jeez, all right' said Carlos tiredly. Claire dropped him and he sank down to the ground.  
  
'Now, we'd better do some work, huh?' she asked acidly, strutting off to service the cockpit.  
  
Carlos rubbed his red cheek and hauled himself to his feet.  
  
  
'So that's my plan' concluded Jill, placing her pen down.  
  
Barry scratched his stubby red beard thoughtfully, and Leon shrugged.  
  
'In theory, I guess it's an okay plan' said Leon looking troubled.  
  
'But you can't force two people together' finished Barry, setting down his pen decidedly.   
  
Jill paced up and down the room, presenting her case.  
  
'It isn't exactly forcing them together, just helping her along' stated Jill.  
  
'She has a point there, Barry' agreed Leon, nodding.  
  
'And, it's just to boost her confidence' wheedled Jill, staring hard at Barry.  
  
'Okay, I go along with it. If it is the best plan..' said Barry, giving in and nodding.  
  
'So here's what ya do…'  
  
  
Becca was sitting on her own in the office, working through some paperwork as Chris had been called up to help co-ordinate the Bravos in their break in techniques. She was carefully totalling up the figures at the end. She heard the sound of heavy boots clumping in and was surprised at hearing Chris come back so early. She looked up and saw Carlos Oliveira ruefully smiling down at her.  
  
'Hi' he muttered, his head down. Bec could hardly hear him and had to duck her head to catch his words.   
  
"Hi? That's all he could manage? Well well well….the Spanish Amigo at a loss for words…this is a first. Okay, so he's guna be feeling awkward. What do you want him to do? Start a conversation? Hear him out…." Her mind hissed as she punched numbers into the calculator.  
  
  
'Hey.' She replied quietly, trying to keep her eyes on her work and trying not to notice that his clothes were dripping wet, and that the water had made his t-shirt cling to his well defined torso…and the way his brown bangs flopped casually over one velvet soft eye. She bit her lip and focused on writing up the reports.   
  
  
'Listen, I'm gonna cut to the chase. There's no point in dragging this out. I'm sorry for treating like an object' started Carlos, and Becca's head shot up and she looked directly into his eyes.  
  
Carlos studied her reaction to this carefully. He had been a little surprised when she hadn't even taken one look at his dripping clothes, but then again he couldn't blame her. He had done a dirty one on her. Now he had to eat humble pie. By the bucket load.   
  
Bec was looking up now, staring at him. He couldn't tear his eyes away from her watchful grey-eyed gaze, and tried to focus on her fiery head, and found his eyes travelling over her gleaming hair down to the curve of her neck, right down to her….  
  
'Bullshit.' Was Becca's clear reply. She was tapping her pen on the desk, shaking her head.   
  
'What do you mean? I'm sorry, I'm sincerely sorry. I've just found another person to be with' said Carlos, at a loss for words at her curt reply.   
  
'Is that so? Where did I ever fit into your schedule?' asked Bec bitterly, looking down at her work, clenching her pen so tightly that her knuckles showed white.   
  
'I liked you Bec. I liked you a lot. But I had to figure out where I could place you in my heart, and I realised that I only could think of you as a friend' said Carlos, trying to lower his head so he could study her reactions.   
  
'So I was just a friend? A friend to play with, a friend to fall back on?' asked Bec viciously, her wrath up. Colour rushed to her cheeks, and she found herself standing up and eyeing the Spanish Amigo fiercely.   
  
'No…I never meant it like that…..' Carlos stuttered, and he found himself reaching for her hand, and drawing her close.   
  
Bec was astonished at being pulled into Carlos's arms, and could feel the dampness of his shirt, and the warm of his chest. She tried to pull away, but couldn't drag her eyes away from his diamond-strong glare, and had a battle of feelings in her mind. She leaned in slightly, her lips barely brushing his and felt his palms caressing her hair.  
  
Carlos hadn't known what had taken control of him, and he had found himself pulling Becca into his arms, and he wanted to bring her close, to whisper in her ear and-  
  
"Damn you. You explain to her you like another girl, promptly forget about the other girl and end up wanting to throw her on the table and do nothing but kiss her all over?" he thought desperately. He felt he needed to get his head straight first, and didn't want to risk hurting either of his girls, before he made a more definite decision.   
  
So he reluctantly, dropped his arms from around Becca's slim waist, brushed back his wet bangs, and walked quickly out of the room.  
  
He didn't turn around to look at Becca's shocked expression and the quiver of her lips. He nearly ran out of the room so he could erase those deep grey eyes away from his memory.   
  
Bec felt pissed. She was more than pissed. She was raging angry and hurt. And more than a little stunned of the past events. She steadied herself against a desk and watched forlornly as Carlos ran from the room, trouble in his eyes his face a mask of discontent.   
  
She slid into the chair, and willed herself to carry on with her work, but looking down at the sheet, Carlos's face appeared, his eyes, his face, and his lips that had been so close…. Bec dropped her head down into her hands and felt the cold tears trickle down her face.  
  
'So close' she sobbed unhappily, the tears dropping onto her work her head swimming with pain. She fiercely rubbed her eyes and pushed the stray locks of hair out of her eyes.   
  
"He starts to tell me he loves somebody else…somebody I would never be able to contend with, and then he's sweeping me into his arms and I thought I could read the emotions in his eyes" thought Becca wretchedly, her hands shaking as she recalled the moment. The thought of his eyes and lips so near, so full of promise made her cry even more.   
  
Becca swiped her eyes, and dashed to the bathroom to clean up and get her head together, before facing the inquiring stares of the others.  
  
  
The day had gotten a little better. Becca had seemed happier, and the rewarding bruise on Carlos's other cheek was like nectar to Chris's tired legs as he strode into the office. Nearly a whole day of co-ordinating the BRAVOs in breaking tactics had taken its toll, and Chris winced as his boots rubbed at his calves. He shouldn't have broken in his new purchase before wearing them to work. He settled himself into his seat.  
  
Leon swaggered up and handed Chris an article he had found, it was titled 'Take revenge, shit on a Pigeon' Chris chuckled as he read the punch line, and placed it down and looked at Leon.  
  
'Good day, Rookie?' asked Chris, leaning back on his chair. Leon draped himself on the side of his desk and nodded.  
  
'No calls whatsoever. Most of the stuff that came through was so easy, the PD could handle it. So Barry, Jill and I finished up paper work and stuff.' Replied Leon swinging his legs carefully, and trying not to wince.  
  
'Groin still bothering ya?' asked Chris, who didn't miss much.  
  
'That obvious?' groaned Leon, giving up and seating himself on a chair.   
  
'Claire not letting ya rest, huh?' quipped Chris, cocking up an eyebrow and gazing shrewdly at him.  
  
'Claire's like a bull. She sees the target, and never stops' groaned Leon.  
  
'You're telling me. Back when we were kids, she used to make me get up at 6 am on weekdays to wrestle with her and play cards. She's used to getting her way' agreed Chris, musing thoughtfully.  
  
'Or as Becca would say, 'Save a Whale Harpoon a Fat Chick' chuckled Leon. 'So how has she been getting on?'.  
  
'She seems fine. But she's quiet, I guess she's dealing with it in her own way' said Chris quietly, and confidentially to Leon.   
  
'Ya well, our Becca known for being independent' Leon drawled, looking up as he heard the thud of boots approaching the door.  
  
Both men looked up to see a damp Claire and Carlos trudging in, both silent with their lips drawn. Chris knew he was fighting fire with fire when he placed those two together, but he couldn't imagine what had happened. He did remember however, that there was a large tool box in the Hanger….he shuddered thinking at what could have happened. He was broken from his muses by Claire asking him a question.  
  
'We're done with the Choppers, what shall we do now?' she asked, wringing her hair out, and re-tying it in its normal ponytail.  
  
'The others should be finished soon, we'll go through the evening schedule' said Chris, still trying to figure out why they were so wet. Carlos saw him staring and answered his question.  
  
'Claire and I had a little scuffle with the hose pipe' he drawled, glaring at Claire who puckered her lips and kicked him in the shins.   
  
Chris looked over at Leon, who chuckled in response and winked at Claire whose clothes clung to her athletic body damply.   
  
'Geez Leon, you've seen her naked enough times, quit gawking' moaned Carlos, as he rummaged in the Medical kit for an icepack for his cheek.   
  
'Never underestimate the Power of a Woman in wet clothes' drawled Claire. She sidled up to Leon and said in her sweetest voice.  
  
'Leon, I'm so cold and wet, do you think you could handle dinner tonight?' she crooned sweetly, making her eyes wide and appealing. Leon's jaw dropped and he rubbed the back of his neck coyly.   
  
'Claire, Baby, Of Course I would…' he said giving her a cheeky grin. Claire sat up and looked triumphant.  
  
'But I don't fall for the helpless little girl ploy' he finished. Claire drooped forward and groaned.   
  
'Damn you' she muttered angrily, standing up quickly when she realised the she was making the chair wet.  
  
'For someone who has survived Racoon, Rockfort, and faced off with so many mangled Umbrella creations, the 'Helpless Ploy' is hard to believe' agreed Chris, drumming his hands on the desk.  
  
Claire admitted defeat and propped herself against the fan heater, to dry and dry her clothes off. Her blue combats were sticking to her legs and her STARs t-shirt was clinging to her svelte upper body. Carlos joined her next to the fan heater and said quite loudly.   
  
'I'm going to change clothes; I have a spare lot in my locker. Coming, Claire?' he asked, thought it really wasn't a question it was a statement. Claire understood perfectly and together, they left the room to the STARs Locker Room. Carlos checked if it was empty and sat down on the bench.  
  
'I talked to Becca' he said, running his hands through his dark hair.   
  
'And?' asked Claire, eyeing Carlos like an eagle.   
  
'She was cool with it' he said simply. Claire looked at him closely. She knew Carlos wasn't letting everything on, but she couldn't quite place what it was.   
  
'But were you cool with it?' she asked carefully, studying Carlos's reactions. Carlos said slightly unhappily with his teeth gritted, 'Yes'.  
  
'Hmmmm' mused Claire.  
  
'Well, c'mon we better get dressed and back there before they think we went to the bathrooms and fell in' said Carlos, eagerly changing the subject and walking off to his locker. Claire shrugged and walked over to her locker and pulled out her spare uniform, trying not to think about what was really going on between Carlos and Rebecca.   
  
  
Jill was walking along one of the corridor's to the PD's briefing rooms when she spied her target. The target was dressed in his cop's uniform, and was walking to cafeteria. Jill stalked stealthily behind him.   
  
'Hey Jill, what happened?' asked a smooth Californian voice. She looked up and one of the rookie cops, Liz Whitman come hurrying over to her.   
  
"Great, just when I have my target, I get intercepted…. play it cool Valentine" she thought, and she turned to face the Blond Cop and try to fend her off before she lost her target completely.   
  
'Accident with a sun bed' she muttered, she swiped her face, as she was still a little sore.   
  
'Nasty, oh, the Dance is only this weekend. That must suck' said Liz sympathetically, looking at Jill's burned face.  
  
'Oh, well, I have to be going. I'll catch ya later, okay?' said Jill quickly, trying to strain her eyes to find her target.   
  
'Okay, later' said Liz, walking off in a flurry of Blond hair and red lipstick.   
  
Jill walked carefully into the Cafeteria, trying to avoid the stares of the other officers who looked at her red skin inquisitively. She saw her target seated by himself on a table. Perfect.   
  
'Hey' she said, sitting down opposite him. The man looked up from his mug of coffee and muttered a response back.   
  
'Are you Jill Valentine from the STARs unit?' he asked, looking her up and down.  
  
'Yeah, that would be me, how do you know?' she asked.  
  
'Oh, everyone's heard about your accident with a sun bed, so your quite easy to spot' said the Officer lightly, chuckling slightly at Jill's skin.   
  
'Oh, well there's a first time for everything' she remarked, kindly. 'So what's ya name?' she asked innocently.   
  
'Jack King' he replied, shaking her hand and giving her a grin. Jill felt her reactions pick up a signal, a signal that he was interested in her. No, that wasn't meant to happen!  
  
'So what you doing tonight?' she asked, trying hard to make it sound that she wasn't hinting at anything.   
  
'Nothing, why?' he asked, picking up on the bait.  
  
'Well, my Boyfriend and I are going out for dinner with another friend, and I wondered if you'd like to join us?' she asked sweetly, emphasising the boyfriend part.  
Jack seemed to get the message, and Jill could tell he was no blue collar. She prided herself on picking the perfect person to take tonight.   
  
'Great. We have reservations at Venice Square, so if you would like to meet us there at around 7:30pm?' she asked, her fingers crossed.   
  
'Sure. That would be fine. Who is your boyfriend?' he asked interestedly.  
  
'Chris Redfield, the STARs Captain' she stated innocently, twiddling a red lock around her finger.  
  
'Oh yeah. Him. So that's okay for tonight' he said, finally giving in and grinning at her.   
  
'Super. Later then!' she said, nodding at him and leaving the cafeteria. She needed to link up with Chris and fill him in on what was happening, as well as reporting back to Leon and Barry, and concocting a way to tell Becca. Jill was working in Bec's best interests, and she didn't want her to sense the real purpose of dinner tonight. Jill smiled cunningly to herself and began to make plans in her head.   
  
'So Carlos, what you doing this evening?' asked Barry as he read through the evening rota.  
  
'It's my free night, so I'm taking Phoenix out to dinner' he said loudly. He glanced and Becca and saw her face was devoid of all emotions.   
  
'Just don't spill wine on her dress' chided Leon, trying to take the edge out of the situation. There was a heavy silence that remained unbroken, and Leon tried to think of a way to diffuse the situation. Luckily, Chris came to his rescue.   
  
'Carlos, remember the time when you got your zipper stuck on that date with the chick from the Forensics Department?' asked Chris, chuckling at the memory.  
  
'I had to be rushed to the emergency room. She never did talk to me again' mused Carlos, remembering the embarrassing occurrence.   
  
'Remember that time you were on the that other date and you knocked into that woman sitting next to you at the bar?' asked Leon, eager to embarrass Carlos further.  
Carlos grimaced and didn't reply. Leon took the line up himself.  
  
'You said, 'Sugar, if your heart is as soft as eyes you'll forgive me' and she said 'If your penis is as hard as your elbow, then I'll be behind the car lot in ten minutes' said Leon, grinning the whole time. Chris started to laugh, Barry grinned and even Becca managed a small smile. Carlos's face burned red and he tried to hide it in his hands.  
  
'Your date heard the whole thing, slapped you and said she'd never speak to you again' continued Leon, milking the situation for its worth.   
  
'Leon, what about the time we went down to Shooters and you got might friendly with that brunette next to the bar?' questioned Carlos, eager to get Leon back. Leon gulped and shook his head.  
  
'You guys were in the act of saliva swapping, and then she had to leave….'Carlos trailed off, nodding suggestively. Leon shook his head and shrugged.   
  
'C'mon tell what happened' said Chris, grinning at the quivering Leon.   
  
'The Bartender told us that She was really a He….' Carlos said slowly, allowing the full implication to be afflicted on the whole group. Chris and Barry began whooping, and Carlos thumped Leon on the back, while Becca's grin widened and she started to laugh at the red-faced Leon.   
  
'Alas, even the best make their mistakes' said Leon theoretically, striking a pose.   
  
'You call mistaking a man for a woman a mistake? I call it hilarious!' quipped Becca, talking for the first time. 'Leon likes to have the best of both worlds'.  
  
All four men doubled up with laughter, and Jill walked in amidst them. She had her sweetest smile, and her hips were rolling. Chris knew those signs and wasn't show what to expect.   
  
'Honey, I made reservations for tonight!' she said brightly, catching Chris's hand.   
  
'We're going out?' he asked, confused. 'But…'  
  
'So Becky, wanna join us? Another officer is coming as well' asked Jill quickly, ignoring Chris and focusing on Becky. Beck looked startled but readily agreed, much to Jill's surprise.   
  
'Great, we'll pick you up at around 7. Dress dressy' replied Jill, flashing her a grin and turning to face Chris. Chris eyed Jill closely.  
  
'Guess it's all arranged then. Who's the other Officer?' he asked curiously.   
  
'That will be revealed tonight' said Jill mysteriously, shooting Chris a look. She turned around and nodded at Barry and Leon, telling them the plan was set.   
  
Tonight would be a very interesting night for all of them….not a night to forget.   
  
  
Chicky Sez: Well troopers, here it is. What will happen tonight at the restaurant? I can't say much here, or I'll give the game away! Sayonara! 


	11. Dinner Date for All

Dinner Date for All  
  
  
When I'm feeling blue and lonely,  
All I have to do is think of you,  
We had just one night,  
But it lingers on and on and on,  
You gave your love to me softly.  
  
'You Gave Your Love To Me Softly' by Weezer.   
  
  
Bec nervously pawed through her wardrobe, trying to a find a dress to wear for tonight. She always found that whenever she needed a particular piece of clothing she could never find it. The full wardrobe had never looked so empty and shabby. Bec picked up one dress and rejected it as soon as she picked it up, throwing it onto the ever growing 'No' pile.   
  
She picked up a dark blue strappy dress and placed it on the 'maybe' pile. She cursed herself for rashly agreeing to go tonight, and groaned as she looked into the mirror. Her grey eyes were nearly disappearing into her forehead, and the eye bags complete with dark circles looked like two hollows in her face. To top it all off, her shoulder length red hair looked like a haystack. So much for natural beauty.  
  
She scrutinised a dark purple dress, and threw it down on the 'No' pile after a moments thought, the dress reminded her of a prune or a magician. Not exactly the combo she'd want to look like while eating a sumptuous meal at Venice Square. They might mistake her for a street entertainer.   
  
Her green silk, which had stood her good stead for so long was cast onto the fateful pile, after she had come to the realisation that it made her look like a clump of celery. The red creation with the sweeping skirt, clashed with her hair and made her look like a bar singer. Bec flopped down dejectedly on the bed, her hair and make up not done, and her dress still unpicked. She had mainly decided to show that Spanish Amigo she was no pushover, and that she could breeze into dates nonchalantly and not give a shit.  
  
But she was giving a shit. Bec considered phoning Jill and telling her she was sick, but dismissed the idea as soon as she made it, she couldn't let such a good friend down because she felt scared and annoyed. Jill had obviously been working in her best interests, inviting her along so that she didn't feel like a complete wallflower. Bec could see she had deliberately set her up for a date with another guy, and she appreciated it, but it only reminded herself about whom she really was.   
  
A silly little girl who couldn't find a date.   
  
Bec slumped against her bed, and massaged her temples with her hands. She had to be set up on a date with a poor unsuspecting guy, she was that pathetic. What if he turned out to be even more dorky than Becca herself? What if he invited her back to look at his bug collection? Bec was considering these scenarios fearfully, and then abruptly forgot them as she knew Jill wouldn't do that to her. She was too good a friend.   
  
Or would she?  
  
Bec was about to start bouncing up and down on her bed convulsively screaming when she pulled herself together.   
  
'You got yourself into this mess, and your going to follow it through. Throw off your damn insecurities and have fun tonight, If worse comes to worse; you can always fake sickness, this is a simple date, you've face off with worst monsters and stuff like this' Bec told herself strictly. She had pulled herself together, and now she could feel the confidence growing inside her.   
  
Bec grinned confidently at herself and whisked into her wardrobe and began to sort through dresses, humming happily. She decided that she couldn't get much out of her haystack hair, so she opted to tease the curls out of her hair. She adjusted her rollers, and began to apply her make up. She streaked her eyelids with eyeliner, and turned on her radio and started to belt out songs along with the radio.  
  
She grabbed her hairbrush, tilted her head and gave her best performance.  
  
'LUCKY THAT MY BREASTS ARE SMALL AND HUMBLE, SO YOU DON'T CONFUSE THEM WITH MOUNTAINS!!!!!!!!!!!' she belted out, rocking her head back, she was about to continue when a shout of laughter interrupted her.   
  
She quickly turned away from her mirror and squealed when she saw Chris and Jill dressed immaculately and doubling over with laughter at her performance. Bec gave a high-pitched squeal and Chris and Jill laughed harder, Chris smacking his fists against the walls and Jill trying hard not let the tears of mirth spill down her cheeks.  
Bec turned off the radio and stood stupidly in front of them, cringing as she remembered her hair curlers still twined in her hair, and her spidery eyeliner clinging to her eyes.   
Chris and Jill finally recovered and sat on her bed, grinning broadly.  
  
'Lemme call Jive and tell em' we've gotta new Britney Spears!' cracked Chris, his boyish features aglow with mirth.   
  
'That's enough to drive anyone insane!' giggled Jill. Bec still stood there, struck dumb with her mouth wide open. Chris walked up to her and gently held her chin and closed her mouth.   
  
'Can't let the flies in' he chuckled, patting her shoulders. He closely inspected her face and Bec drew back slightly. 'Bec, we're going for dinner, not trick or treating'.  
  
She went bright crimson underneath her carefully applied foundation.   
  
Jill stood next to Chris and gave her a friendly smile.  
  
'Don't mind Chris, his biggest shock was when he found me singing my heart out in the shower' she drawled.  
  
'And I thought the shower was malfunctioning again' he said softly, and both of them collapsed into another laughing fit, and when they had recovered Bec looked in the mirror and saw that her eyeliner had run all down her face. She placed her hands on her heart and struck a dramatic pose.  
  
'Jack, I'll never let go!' she crooned, her hands clutched to her heart.   
  
Chris chuckled and pushed a giggling Jill of his middle, and dusted off his Tux pants. Jill walked up to Bec and carefully wiped away the offending black eyeliner.   
'Do we have to leave now?' asked Bec frantically, her hand flying up to her hair and a despairing glance at her wardrobe.  
  
'No, don't worry Bec. Not for another forty minutes, we came over early to see if you were still sane' reassured Jill.   
  
'And our observations have proved you've gone off ya nut' grinned Chris.   
  
All three of them tittered and Jill placed her hand on Bec's shoulders.  
  
'I take it you need a little help?' she asked noting Bec's hair and face.   
  
'A little is an understatement' groaned Bec.  
  
'I'll leave you to transform Bec, I'll phone and check the reservations one last time' said Chris, nodding at both of them.  
  
Jill sat Bec down on the bed and pawed through her wardrobe to find her a dress and get her ready.   
  
  
  
Carlos was just stepping out of the shower when he heard his doorbell ring. He scrabbled around for his towel, and lightly wrapping it around him, he walked down the stairs to answer the door.   
  
He opened it to find his date standing on his doorstep, grinning like a Cheshire Cat. He stepped aside to let her in, and once inside Phoenix teasingly looped her arms around his neck.   
  
'I thought answering the door nearly naked was against the law' she teased, running her light fingers down his biceps. Carlos looped her arms around her slim waist and teasingly puffed his lips out.   
  
'Now we're gonna have none of that behavior Missy' he said, cupping her cheek with one hand and gently dropping kisses along her neck. He inhaled a deep breath of her sweetly scented skin, and rested his head in the curve of her neck, brushing his head against the silky red tendrils of red hair. She raised her head and he saw her tilt her head and her lips were about to brush his when he placed his finger on his lips.   
  
'Naughty Missy' he crooned, he slid his hands down her waist and around to the edge of her sleek black tube top. They traveled along the edge until he placed them up in her top and caressed the soft skin. Phoenix shut her eyes slightly and Carlos kissed her lips lightly and fully. He felt a trill of energy surge through him at touch of her lips and he drew back to look at her face more fully.   
  
The dark brown eyes were twinkling with happiness and her smooth skin shone healthily from the sun, and her dark red hair was lying sleekly down her back. Her pretty full lips were so near, and he half moved into kiss her again, when he felt a slight shudder as they reminded him of someone he wasn't so sure about. He untangled himself from Phoenix and rubbed the back of his neck with his hand, pasting a fake coy grin to his face.   
  
'Do you mind waiting down here? I'll quickly dress' he said, trying to get his head together.   
  
'Sure, and if you take too long, I might have to help ya' she crooned, winking at him.  
  
'You mean I'll have to help you Undress?' questioned Carlos, raising one eyebrow suggestively and nodding in her direction. Phoenix blushed sweetly and covered her cheeks and gave him a slight grin.  
  
Carlos turned and walked upstairs quickly, and started to dress. He pulled on the dark blue shirt and black tie tux he had picked for tonight, and he combed his hair into it's style, trying to gather his thoughts for the third time this day.   
  
'Geez, twice today I have drawn away from kissing a girl' he mused, while tying his tie. He really needed to figure out whom he wanted. He couldn't string Phoenix along, but he needed to decide whom he wanted, as Bec might not be a free agent after tonight.   
  
Carlos lingered while smoothing down his hair, mulling over the earlier events. Becca was going out to dinner with Chris, Jill and another guy. Jill had obviously set it up, and he knew Jill would only pick out the best suitor for Bec. Carlos tried to shake all thoughts of Becca away from his mind, but the nagging feeling remained there.   
  
'So what if Bec gets a guy? It's the best thing, and everything would be rounded off nicely, and you have Phoenix as well' he told himself, thinking of the girl waiting downstairs for him. Bec's guy would probably be way better than him. But was that a good thing?   
  
Carlos was about to start tying up his tie again, when he shook himself and pulled on his jacket, and grabbed the bouquet of red and white roses from the mantelpiece.   
  
'Get your ass down there, or Phoenix will think you've gone to the bathroom and fallen in' he told himself, grasping the flowers and walking downstairs.   
  
He walked into the living room and stood in front of Phoenix, who looked him up and down and gave a coy smile, which made him take him in breath quickly. There he was, upstairs contemplating dating Becky and bow being bowled over by a slight movement from another girl. Talk about hormones. Flipping from one red haired goddess to another….  
  
He handed her the roses, and smiled at him, receiving them. Phoenix looked over them and smelt them.  
  
'They're beautiful' she said softly, she pecked Carlos's cheek and looked at him shyly. Carlos caught hold of her hand, and together they walked out to his car. Carlos open the door for her and as she stepped in she asked him a question.   
  
'Where exactly are we going?' she asked, fastening her seat belt.   
  
'The Venice Square' said Carlos, reversing out of the drive.  
  
  
  
Bec sat in the back seat, watching the scenery go past. She shifted her feet uncomfortably in her seldom worn high heels, and carefully brushed her hair away from her neck so as not to disturb Jill's handiwork.   
  
Chris was intently driving, and Jill was looking out of the window like Bec was, and the silence in the car was comfortable. Companionable.   
  
Bec thanked her Guardian Angel that even though it was one of her most embarrassing experiences, Chris and Jill had arrived early. If they hadn't come, she might have ended up going out to dinner looking like a Drag Queen. Jill had made her look presentable, which better than Bec's past efforts.  
  
Sure, the high heels were uncomfortable, her head felt strange being piled with red curls that were not normally there, and her eyes were stinging from the carefully applied white eyeliner, and her dress itched, but it was the small price to pay for not looking like something out of the Rocky Horror Show.   
  
Her dress had surprised her. Jill had picked out the little black number she'd bought while shopping with Claire and Jill, the dress she had despised while in the shop, but now while wearing it, she had to admit it looked good on her. Her small curls that were falling to her shoulders, and her carefully applied make up made her look more like a film star than a little girl playing dress up. She didn't care if she didn't impress this other guy, she had already achieved something this evening.   
  
Jill, the master of cosmetics had faded her ruddy, burned skin and it looked more golden brown than it did angry red. The angry red that had clashed with her hair was now complimenting it, making it glint gold and copper. Becca mentally thanked Jill's expertise.   
  
Chris parked the car, in the restaurant's lot, and Becca opened her door and daintily swung her legs out. Chris helped her out, understanding her walking impediment, and Jill led them to the entrance. A smiling young man, with olive skin and brown hair greeted them at the door, dressed in black trousers and a white shirt.  
  
'Redfield-Chambers-King?' he queried, looking at them.   
  
'Yes, that's us' said Jill, nodding.   
  
'Mr King has yet to arrive, but I will seat you now' he said kindly, leading them around the immaculate tables where other people were already partaking of the finest Italian Cuisine. Becca took in the decorated walls, adorned with Italian paintings and wine bottles, and statuettes. Another point to Jill, she had sure picked a nice place.   
  
The charming waiter seated them at a four-seater table, and left them, assuring them to escort Mr King when he arrived. Jill thanked him and turned to the others.   
  
'You like the place?' she asked, gesturing the restaurant that was bustling with activity.  
  
'Perfect. Great choice, babe' agreed Chris, smiling.   
  
'Yeah, this is great. Thanks Jill' said Bec appreciatively.   
  
Bec was flipping through the menu when she realised her bladder was at breaking point. She excused herself from the table and when the ladies' room. Whenever she was nervous, she always needed the bathroom. She had been expecting it to happen.   
  
She walked into the lavishly decorated bathrooms, which had a plush velvet sofa and wall hangings of embroided silk hung up the walls. Bec admired the tasteful colours and scheme. She relieved herself and washed her hands, and dried them on a patterned flannel from a rack nailed to the wall. She arranged a curl and wiped off a smudge from her face and walked out back to her table.   
  
As she neared the table, there was another man sitting opposite her place, she couldn't see his face as he was facing away from her. She could make out blond hair and a dark blue shirt. She edged nearer and Chris saw her walking up.  
  
'This is Becca, Jack' he said gesturing to Becca. Jack turned around and Bec took in his blue eyes and spiky blond hair, and the finely chiselled features. Had Brad Pitt just walked in and sat opposite her?   
  
'Hey' she said smiling slightly at him, and gave he her a smile back. She sat down at her place opposite him and felt her smile creep up her features, and he nodded towards her.   
  
'So Jack, your in the Sniper group?' asked Chris as they looked through the menus.  
  
'Yeah, I work in the marksmanship course' said Jack. Becca listened to the New York accent in his voice.  
  
'Watch it Jack, Chris is the best marksman in the Alpha team' said Jill, laughing.   
  
'Believe me, I wouldn't dare offend ya, the thought of you pursuing me with a shotgun is enough to scare me!' chuckled Jack, making them laugh.   
  
'Then again, seeing Chris first thing in the morning is a pretty bad thought' put in Becca, her quip was received with laughter.   
  
Chris and Jill began to talk to eachother which was a signal for Jack and Bec 'to get to know each other' Bec started to panic, as she felt at a loss for words. Jack sensed this and started off the conversation.   
  
'So you're a STARs Bravo team member?' he asked tentatively, absently fiddling with his napkin. Bec half smiled to herself, glad to see he was almost as nervous as she was.   
  
'STARs Alpha' she corrected him, grinning at his surprise. She liked freaking members of the RPD out, and she usually got more respect for it.   
As she had predicted, Jack did a double take and gave her an impressed look. A low whistle escaped from him. Bingo.  
  
'It's mainly from my past experiences that I was placed with the Alphas' said Becca, relaxing and starting to feel more at ease.   
  
'You were involved with taking down Umbrella, weren't you?' he asked her, genuine interest in his voice. He leaned forward towards Becca, his hand near hers.  
  
'Yeah. It was one of the most horrendous experiences in my life' she said simply, trying not to seem too choked up, despite still mentioning the events still made her shudder.  
  
'What you guys went through, I don't think that many other people ever will experience, anything near to that. My most terrifying experience is when I was eight. I went to feed the geese when I was little, and they ended up chasing me!' joked Jack, his blue eyes glittering making Bec feel more at ease.   
  
She settled back to enjoy dinner in the company of Jack King, definitely an enjoyable event.   
  
  
  
Carlos was greeted at the door by a waiter who seemed all too happy to see Phoenix and him, though his happiness was more directed at Phoenix than him.   
'Gully-Oliveira?' he asked them as they approached. Carlos nodded and ushered Phoenix ahead of him, as they wended there way through the numerous dinner tables, the lilting violin melodies playing in the air. The waiter made small talk with them, or more accurately, with Phoenix.   
  
'And what is Miss Gully's name?' he asked, as he led them over to a table in the corner.  
  
'Phoenix' she replied, shaking her head slightly and smiling.   
  
'Phoenix is a beautiful name for a beautiful girl' he crooned, Phoenix giggled and sat down in her seat. Carlos sat opposite her, and said 'Thank You' pointedly. The man brushed past Phoenix, and off to wait upon a table of executives.   
  
'Great Choice, Carlos' said Phoenix, looking around the restaurant's bustling activity with a satisfied expression.   
  
Carlos felt a lump form in his throat. Sitting on the opposite side of the restaurant was Chris, Jill, Becca and a blond man. Carlos swallowed, and tried to concentrate on what Phoenix was saying.   
  
Chris had known something was up when Jill had frozen in mid conversation, and wasn't looking directly at him anymore. Her eyes were focused on a point behind his shoulder, and Chris was half incline to think some world-moving event was taking place behind him, and being Chris, he would miss it even though it was happening directly behind him.   
  
'Is there something really interesting behind me?' he asked. Jill started and shook her head, her eyes troubled and a worried frown forming on her face.   
  
'Look who just walked in' fumed Jill, scrunching the napkin up her hands, scowling at what was behind Chris. Chris turned around and immediately saw why she was angry. Carlos Oliveira and his date had just entered the restaurant.   
  
'What'll we do?' hissed Jill, shaking Chris's arm frantically.   
  
'Nothing for the moment. They haven't seemed to notice us yet, so we'll play it along' answered Chris, trying not to stare angrily at the Spanish Amigo and his date.   
  
Jill sighed and shrugged. It was all they could do for the moment.   
  
  
Becca was enjoying herself. She usually never enjoyed the whole dinner-date business, she always felt nervous, and ended up leaving the restaurant having broken something or split some substance on her dress, or both. But so far, she was too engrossed with the charming young man sitting opposite her.   
  
'I see you're rivalling Chris for the most spiky hair award' quipped Bec, as she paused to sip her Italian red.   
  
'I love the startled porcupine look' he grinned boyishly, running his hand through his blond spikes.   
  
'Give you a sword and a grey suit, then you'd be a ringer for Cloud Strife' said Bec, all of her insecurities borne away.   
  
'Mmmm. I'm more bishouen, Rufus from Shinra maybe' he replied, sipping his drink.   
  
'I like a man in a suit' said Bec flirtatiously, winking at him from behind her wine glass.   
  
'You could be my Scarlett that way' he responded, nudging her calf ever so slightly under the table.   
  
'She's blond though' stated Bec, edging her foot nearer his under the table.   
  
'Red heads are fiery, wrathful and exuberant' he said in a low, sexy voice only for Becca to hear.   
  
'I don't bite…that hard' she replied back, and was reward by Jack's grin spreading up his youthful features. Jill jabbing her in the back forced her away from his smile, she was hustled to the lady's room much to her consternation.   
  
'What?' she squawked, as Jill pushed her into the Lady's room swiftly.   
  
  
Chris nervously fiddled with his spoon and tried to think of an explanation to Jill hustling Bec to the bathrooms. He could only smile cheesily, while his brain worked quickly and he finally came up with the lame excuse 'Girls in bathrooms together, like wolves in a pack' he confided to the astonished Jack.   
  
'You can never tell what they're up to' he agreed, raising his eyebrows as if what the two women were up to was something alien to the male sex. Chris mentally thanked Jill for her choice of suitor, he wasn't a dull bulb or a macho, and he was the perfect guy for Becca. Jack asking him a question interrupted him from his musings.   
  
'Does she have a date for the dance?' he asked tentatively, his eyes glued to the bathroom door. Chris picked up the hint in his voice, and lit up inside.   
  
'No, I think she's looking for one though' he nodded conspiratorially to Jack, like a hit man nodding to his accomplice. Jack nodded back, a satisfied look on his finely chiselled features. Chris looked to his left and saw that he was approaching, and prayed that Jill could keep Becca at bay until he'd got rid of him.   
  
'Carlos!' he said, trying to muster up some enthusiasm at seeing him. 'What you doing here?' he asked pointedly, narrowing his eyes, hoping that Jill was still stalling Bec.   
  
'I'm here with Phoenix. And who is this man?' he said, with forced good humor, gesturing to Jack whose eyes were pinned on the bathroom door.   
  
'This here is Jack King, Sniper Division at the RPD' said Chris with phoney politeness, hoping Carlos would get the message. He didn't however, and was looking Jack up and down. Chris gritted his teeth, and desperately hoped Carlos would return to his date. He was pretty sure he wasn't doing this to stir up trouble, but why was he so interested with Bec's possible date? He had Phoenix whom he had pursued much to Chris's rage. Chris put two and two together, and shook his head. Carlos wouldn't risk his relationship with Phoenix, and go back to…? Chris's shoulders sagged.   
  
'I'm Carlos Oliveira, STARs Alpha team' he heard Carlos say, and saw them shake hands. Chris was glad to see that Jack was barely paying attention to him, and was concentrating on the bathroom door. To Chris's relief, Carlos seemed finished, and nodded to Jack and walked back to his table. Chris sipped his wine; it was going to be a long night.   
  
  
'Jill what are you doing???' shrieked Bec as soon as the door was shut. The bathroom was empty and Bec turned to face Jill, a mixture of anger and confusion clouding her face. Jill seemed harried and shook her a little, and pursed her lips, as if trying to find the right words. She draped her self casually on the soft couch and grinned at Bec.   
  
'How's everything going with Jack?' asked Jill, pasting a smile on her face.   
  
'Super. At least, it was until you dragged me off here' growled Bec. 'Jill what's up?' she asked suspiciously.   
  
'Oh nothing. I just wanted to hear how you guys were getting on' Jill said, standing up and arranging a bit of Becca's hair.   
  
'That all? You hauled me away in mid sentence to ask me that?' asked Bec, still suspicious, with an incredulous air. She blew air out from her lips nosily and folded her arms, and tapped her toe agitatedly.   
  
Jill swallowed, and stared at the ceiling and tried to think up something to stall her for a little while longer. She suddenly hit upon an idea.   
  
'You know, this is a key part of double dates. Us girls are in the bathroom, and the guys exchange pointers. Chris is putting in a good word for you as we speak' chimed Jill, with an exaggerated air of chirpiness, standing up in the mirror to examine her reflection.   
  
Bec still looked doubtful. Jill thought quickly, and reached into her pocket for her lipstick. She handed it to Bec, who took it with a confused look, and redid her lips. Jill sneaked a look at her watch and decided that Chris had had enough time. She ceremoniously redid her lips, swiped back a lock of hair, and frogmarched a puzzled Becca back to the dinner table. She scanned her eyes over the table, and noticed Carlos was back at his table, for the time being.   
  
Jill sat down at her seat tiredly, sharing a weary glance at Chris. So much for a relaxing dinner.   
  
  
  
Carlos was staring at a picture of the Pantheon, and not really paying any attention to Phoenix's banter. He avoided the need to keep turning around and looking at Bec and her date, and tried to focus on Phoenix instead. He soon realised there was only so much you could look at someone, and found his thoughts wandering back to Bec's Date.   
  
Jill, as he knew she would, had selected the best possible guy. This guy was in all respects the most suitable date. Jack had the spiky blond hair, blue eyed innocence and chiselled chin thing going on, and was the talking type. Carlos's rival. But he couldn't exactly be called a rival, Carlos was no longer playing for Becca, he had Phoenix. But he couldn't help glancing at her, smiling in her little black dress, her eyes shining and her lips so full and smooth…Carlos shook thoughts of her from his mind as he realised Phoenix had asked him a question.   
  
'Are you excited about the dance?' she asked him brightly, pausing from her stream of chatter to drink her wine.   
  
'Who isn't? Of course, I'll be taking the best girl' he said, automatically reaching for one of her small hands. Phoenix accordingly giggled and blushed, and Carlos felt his warmth for Phoenix return, but couldn't resist turning around and taking a look at Bec, who was smiling, laughing at something that Jack had said.   
  
  
Chris and Jill were holding conference at their side of the table. A conference lacking the main qualities of a conference, such as loud angry voices and endless arguing, which might have occurred if they hadn't had to whisper the whole thing.   
  
'We can't keep dodging for the whole damn evening!' hissed Chris, drumming his fingers on the oak table, trying to get his point across.  
  
'What do we do then? Let her see him and get upset? Ruin her mood? Hell, she's having fun, I don't want him coming over and fucking things up!' retorted Jill, grabbing Chris's fingers, as his drumming was starting to drum into her skull.   
  
'He won't come up and try to ruin things, I'm here, and he wouldn't dare!' insisted Chris, desperately trying to get his fingers free from Jill's tight grasp.   
  
'But seeing him might upset her, he's with Phoenix and she wouldn't enjoy herself after that he's here' interjected Jill, holding Chris's fingers in a vice grip. Onlookers were giving their table funny looks, the contrast between each half distinctly different. Two happy, sunny people indulging in light-hearted flirting, and two other people having a heated fight, while the female was trying to crush the male's fingers.   
  
'Leave it. We won't do anything, he doesn't look like he's going to make a move over here' reported Jill, craning her neck to check Carlos's position. He wasn't making any movement to walk over to their table, but every so often, his eye strayed, and he looked idly around the room.   
  
Chris was about to reply to her, but decided to change the subject, trying to salvage some pleasure out of the meal for themselves, it had been a long time since they'd been out anywhere fancy. It had turned into a Carlos-watching-session, but Chris would be damned if a little thing like that ruined his date with Jill.   
  
'Those two seem to have hit off well' remarked Chris, finally freeing his fingers from Jill's grasp, and sipping his wine. Becca was giggling, as Jack was relating some story of what had happened to him last summer, about catching two men in a car doing something Chris couldn't quite picture.   
  
'I pride myself on my match-making skills' Jill quipped, smiling at the happy pair.   
  
The man, who had greeted them at the door, was bringing the dishes they had ordered. He set one plate down, and quickly picked it up in surprise, apologising profusely.   
  
'Sorry, dis is for Mr Oliveira, your food is following soon' he assured them, scooping up the plates and heading over to Carlos's table.   
  
Jill could have thrown herself on the floor and cussed from here to Abu Dhabi, but held it in and stared at Chris open mouthed, his expression much the same. Dodging Carlos successfully and then being slipped up by a damn waiter, so much for plans. They were pretty much blown to shit. Chris pasted a happy smile on his face and motioned to Jill to do the same, hopefully Becca hadn't noticed, but she had.   
  
Bec tried to discreetly locate where Carlos's table was situated, while continue her conversation with Jack as if nothing had happened. He hadn't given a second thought to the name Oliveira and was joking on like he was before. Bec wouldn't have noticed either, but the way Jill and Chris positively drooped when they had heard the name had alerted her that something was up.   
  
'And then he said, 'Toilet broken, please use floor below' cracked Jack, Bec paused briefly to stare into his flashing blue eyes, and to laugh, but then resumed looking to Carlos's table. She finally found it, next to the picture of the Pantheon. The main giveaway was Phoenix, dressed in a black tube top and a long black skirt, her long red hair making her look distinguished.   
  
'I could never contend with her' thought Bec, as she tried to pay attention to Jack. She decided at the next free moment, she would breeze up to the table and greet Carlos, make small talk then breeze back. It would be a declaration to show she had moved on, and could talk to him without disintegrating.   
  
Bec watched like an eagle, and saw that Phoenix and gone to the ladies room, and decided to breeze past Carlos. She excused herself from Jack and strode confidently over to Carlos's table.   
  
  
Jill had seen Phoenix go into the lady's room and decided to stir up some trouble. She wanted to drag a little fun out of the evening for herself, and her mind was working fast. She set her wine glass down and decided to head to the lady's room. Chris caught her eye, and stopped her.   
  
'Jill, don't' he got out, before Jill smiled sweetly and shrugged her shoulders.   
  
'Don't worry, I won't be too bad' she said, batting her eyelashes. She winked and walked across to the bathrooms, leaving Chris with images of Phoenix emerging minus an arm or a leg.   
  
  
'Hey' said a soft voice at Carlos's elbow. He turned around, and about to make a comment about Phoenix completing bathroom rituals in a record breaking time. He opened his mouth, but shut it quickly when he realised it was Becca.   
  
'Hey, having fun?' he asked automatically, his eyes straying across her body. He had never seen her in a dress before, and it clung to her petit form neatly and flattered her figure.   
'Yeah, great. This is a nice place, huh?' she asked nonchalantly, smiling.   
  
'Great. Not one those tacky places you find downtown sometimes,' agreed Carlos. He couldn't keep his eyes off her legs, they were longer than he thought, and shimmered from underneath her flesh coloured stockings.   
  
'Nice seeing you' she said sweetly, nodding to him and walking back to her table. Carlos watched her hips roll slightly as she walked, her heels tapping on the floor and her slim, creamy legs flowing smoothly. He sat back and waited for Phoenix to come back, shutting his eyes briefly to store up a mental picture of Becca's svelte form to keep in his mind.   
  
  
Jill looked into the bathrooms and spotted Phoenix immediately. She was the only person in the bathrooms, apart from Jill. It wasn't hard to miss her either, being very unique with almost waist length red hair, and stylish clothes. She appearing to putting money into one of the machines at the other end of the room, and when she moved away to pull out whatever product she had ordered, it happed to be the condom machine.   
  
Jill watched gleefully as she conspicuously stuffed them in her handbag, and walked over to the mirror to reapply her lipstick. Now it was time to go in for the kill.   
  
'Hey, you must be Phoenix' said Jill brightly, holding out one of her hands. Phoenix jumped when she heard the voice at her elbow, and was startled at seeing Jill. She shook hands and smiled though.   
  
'And who are you?' she asked sweetly, after shaking Jill's hand.   
  
'I'm Jill, I work with Carlos at the RPD' replied Jill, nodding.   
  
'Oh. I'm here on a date with him' she said sweetly, applying her lipstick.   
  
'Carlos is a real joker, isn't he?' remarked Jill as she idly combed her hair.   
  
'Yeah. He sure does make me laugh' agreed Phoenix, as she capped her lipstick.   
  
'The stuff he does' said Jill, examining her fingernails.   
  
'What does he usually do when he's around you guys?' asked Phoenix, intrigued.  
  
'He likes to streak a lot' said Jill breezily, all blue eyed innocence.   
  
'Streak?' asked Phoenix uncertainly.   
  
'Yeah, he's got a real reputation in Robertsville for it. He can't wait for baseball season, that's when his prime time is' said Jill, carefully choosing her words.   
  
'Carlos didn't say anything about that to me' she said, a worried frown forming on her brow. Jill picked up a hint of worry in her voice, and pounced on it gleefully.   
'He's probably waiting to surprise you! But he has so many hobbies as well' Jill carried on, trailing off and absently nibbling a cuticle.   
  
'I like a guy who has hobbies' said Phoenix lovingly, her face dreamy. Jill grinned mischievously, and prepared to deliver her bait.   
  
'Sewage systems is his main love in life' related Jill, trying not to laugh at Phoenix's horrified gaze.   
  
'Sewage systems?' she stuttered, wringing her bag strap tightly.   
  
'Oh yeah, he knows the whole lot when it comes to Sewage Systems. He could tell me off the top of his head where each separate house's waste leads to' Jill rattled on, trying to seem oblivious to Phoenix's reactions.   
  
'Did you hear about that man who was killed by a snake out fishing?' said Phoenix swiftly changing the subject.   
  
'You mean the snake was fishing as well?' asked Jill all big-eyed innocence.   
She hadn't meant to be cruel, but Phoenix's sweet outlook and sugary voice was getting on her nerves. Phoenix's voice wasn't exactly annoying, but it drove her crazy, listening to the high, twinkly voice and girlish giggle had begun to get to her. At the rebuke, Phoenix merely pursed up her lips and shrugged. Jill felt a twinge of guilt at being wiseguy as Phoenix was a genuinely nice girl. She didn't have a chance to apologise as Phoenix had swept up her stuff and left the room as dignified as a peacock.  
  
Jill stared into the mirror at her reflection and eventually left the bathroom. As she opened the door she mused about how much conflict that mirror had seen. It had certainly seen a lot this evening.   
  
  
  
'You were gone a long time' observed Carlos as a flustered looking Phoenix returned to the table after a long period of time in the bathroom. Her movements were jerky as she snapped her bag close, set it down on the floor and sat in her seat, glaring slightly at Carlos.  
  
'I was talking to one of your friends' she replied darkly, sipping her wine.   
  
Carlos was still thinking of Becca in her dress, and didn't register the conviction in Phoenix's voice. He couldn't stop thinking about her large, brooding grey eyes and barely noticed Phoenix's comment.  
  
'Oh you did? Have fun?' he asked distractedly, pretending to examine his cuffs when he was sneaking looks at Becca, who was laughing at something Jack had just said. The sound of her sweet, light laughter was like nectar to his ears, and he strained to here what her youthful voice was saying.   
  
'She told me about your interesting hobbies' hinted Phoenix again, her characteristic cheeriness gone, and in its place was a questioning frown. Carlos finally to keep his concentration on Phoenix and detected a note of accusation in her voice.   
  
'What kind of hobbies was she telling you about?' he questioned; racking his brain thinking of the possible things Jill could have said. It must have been Jill as he was talking to Becca, and she had gone straight back to her table. He dreaded what Jill could have said, she was renowned for being venomous, and possessing the casualness correctness and words that were like poison daggers.   
  
'Streaking. Sewage Systems' stated Phoenix simply, before reaching for his hand and grasping it with an intenseness that shocked Carlos.   
  
'She said that??!?' Carlos nearly squeaked, his voice reduced to a girly squeak. He glanced across at Chris and Jill's table and caught Jill's gaze. She winked and stuck her tongue out, having successfully scared Carlos's date.   
  
'Now honey. I love you as you are and you're a great person and' said Phoenix slowly, squeezing his hand softly and smiling slightly. Carlos stroked her hand and run his other hand through his hair.   
  
'That's just Jill trying to make me look stupid' said Carlos lightly, a smile creeping up his face. He mentally cursed Jill and he could understand why Phoenix had looked so riled when she had emerged from the bathroom. If Phoenix did streaking and sewage systems, he'd probably be feeling the same way.   
  
'She wasn't exactly nice either' said Phoenix staring down at where Carlos was holding her hands. A worried frown creased her brow and Carlos did a double take. Jill wouldn't have been openly mean. It wasn't her style. Her quips and scoff is what she used to damage the enemy.   
  
'Jill's an ice queen when she wants to be. But she really isn't like that, she tough and kind, I'm sure she didn't mean to appear that way' reassured Carlos, comforting Phoenix and defending Jill at the same time, much to his surprise.   
  
'Your probably right' replied Phoenix. She finally smiled fully, and Carlos dropped his head and kissed her hands lightly, brushing his lips across the backs of her hands slightly.   
  
'Shall we eat?' asked Carlos, gesturing to the pasta that had gone cold a long time ago. Phoenix nodded and they both started to pick at their meal.   
  
  
  
'Jill's been gone a long time' thought Chris, looking at his watch. Nothing terrible could have happened, he would have yelled screams of pain and agony by now and Jill would have stormed out demanding the largest knife in the kitchen.   
  
His thoughts of Jill left when he saw Becca approach Carlos's table. He felt himself tense, waiting for the explosion to happen, and for the happy look on her face to be replaced by a wistful, sad expression. It didn't though. He couldn't see Carlos's face, but Becca seemed animated and cheery, oozing enthusiasm and nonchalant grace. He picked this moment when both women were away from the table to interrogate Jack.   
  
'Dude, what do think of Bec?' asked Chris, as if talking to a buddy in the locker room at high school. He noticed that Jack's eyes never left Becca and he felt a surge of triumph.   
  
'She's great. She seems friendly, sweet and funny. Nice looking too' nodded Jack, still staring at Bec.   
  
'Not nice to stare' he commented lightly, poking Jack's back.  
  
'Kinda hard not to when the girl sitting opposite you could be Nicole Kidman's double. Damn, she's fine' remarked Jack as Bec talked to Carlos.   
  
'Keep going that way, and you'll have her. Play it nice though, she's shy. And don't do anything drastic' said Chris warningly, hinting that Jack would be on the receiving end of Chris's strong fist if he acted differently. Jack cocked up an eyebrow and grinned.   
  
Becca strode purposefully back to the table and resumed conversation with Jack quickly, the happy smile stretching across her features. Chris smiled to himself and congratulated Bec for her braveness at approaching Carlos by nodding at her across the table. Bec winked back before delving back into conversation with Jack. Those two could talk forever, mused Chris as Jill returned to the table, a mischievous light in her face.   
  
'You didn't complete diminish her, did you?' asked Chris teasingly, as Jill settled in her seat, blue eyes shining and that smile on her lips that signalled mischief.   
  
'I wasn't that brutal' condescended Jill with an air of grace as she daintily sipped her wine. 'When's the food coming?' she asked after a beat, eager to change the subject.   
  
'Soon, we've been sitting here for around forty minutes' said Chris, checking his watch. 'When you left to pester Phoenix, Bec went and talked to Carlos' he said, his voice low.   
  
'And?' asked Jill curiously, leaning forward to catch what Chris had said. The din of the restaurant was almost deafening as some customers were rowing with the manager over something related to the food.   
  
'Fine. Let's give Carlos a break, if Bec can forgive him, then all of can too' replied Chris. As the words left his mouth, he was surprised that he was sticking up for the Spanish Amigo. Carlos was his friend, but the few skirmishes they had had were quite memorable to him and many of the others, usually finishing with Carlos nursing a black eye and Chris in a simmering rage.   
  
'Okay. Bec has Jack, he has Phoenix, everything's worked out' agreed Jill, sitting back in her chair. The noise of the row had quietened down, and they could hear the lilting violin tunes playing out on the radio, and the clink of cutlery and the cheerful babble of the dining customers. A different waiter approached them carrying plates of the food they had ordered on each arm. He served them and left, wishing that they enjoyed their food. Chris politely thanked him and they settled down to eat.   
  
  
'Thank you Mr Oliveira, please sign here' said the waiter as Carlos paid the bill. The date had gone fine, he mused, except for Jill's little interruption. He'd also enjoyed looking at Bec, shining and radiant, dressed immaculately and tastefully. He turned to face Phoenix who had her long black coat on over her snug black tube top. He finished paying the bill, caught hold of her hand and walked out towards the car.   
  
'Damn' muttered Phoenix as she strapped in her seat belt.   
  
'What?' asked Carlos as he rustled the car keys and started the ignition.   
  
'I would have liked to see you streak' remarked Phoenix coyly, mock pouting her lips at Carlos. Carlos responded by leaning over and kissing her softly, darting out his tongue slightly and brushing it across her lips, giving her a taster of what was to come.   
  
'Mi Chica, don't be sure about that' he remarked lightly, winking at her. 'Shall I drop you home?' he asked, starting the engine.   
  
'My car's at your house' she said, looking unconcernedly out of the window.   
  
'Come back to mine for coffee?' he drawled, cocking up an eyebrow, hoping she would get his drift.   
  
'And perhaps a little more than that, I might actually get to see you streak' replied Phoenix accordingly, winking at him from behind a veil of red hair that was hanging loosely over a velvet brown eye.   
  
'Naughty Chica' mused Carlos out loud, grinning to himself as he drove back home.   
  
  
  
'Great night out' commented Jack as the foursome left the restaurant. It was quarter past nine, and it was still light. They walked down to the parked cars, chatting easily, the click of heels on the pavement making a din in the otherwise quiet evening.   
  
'Bec, need a lift home?' asked Jack nonchalantly, as they reached where their cars were parked.   
  
'Sure' answered Bec, waiting next to Jack's blue hatchback. Jill gave a look, and Bec nodded confidently back.   
  
'Thanks for coming out tonight Jack' said Chris as he opened his car's door.   
  
'It was great. Great choice for tonight, Jill' he said waving to Jill who was in the passenger seat. Jill waved back and grinned. Chris and Jill drove off, leaving Bec and Jack.   
  
Jack stepped in front of Bec and opened the passenger seat for her, and then went around to the driver's side. Bec climbed into the modest hatchback and slammed the door, and deftly fastened her seat belt. Jack adjusted his then started the car, reversing it out of the restaurant's car park. They drove past the rural part of Robertsville, the valleys and rivers, the sunset bathing the whole area in pools of crimson and orange.   
  
'Looks like someone got busy with a paint brush' remarked Jack as the drove past the pretty scenery.   
  
'Beautiful' sighed Bec happily.   
  
He stopped outside Bec's house and parked the car. He got out and opened the door for Bec, always the gentleman mused Bec as they walked up the driveway to her small house. Jack hold of her hand, and they walked up to her door hand in hand.   
  
'I had a great time tonight' said Bec, as they stood outside her door. Jack raised Bec's hand to her lips and kissed it lightly.   
  
'So did I' he said after a beat of comfortable silence, the sound of birds chirping in the late sun. He opened his mouth and Bec waited, as he seemed to be searching for the right words.   
  
'Say, are is anyone taking you to the dance?' he asked rubbing the back of neck shyly. Bec felt her face light up and she grinned.   
  
'Nope. But if your offering….' She said, leaving an open end, trying to curb her excitement.   
  
'So, how about if I take you then?' Jack said quickly, his words coming out in a rush. Bec said nothing but reached up and slid her arms around his neck, and he responded by wrapping his around her waist and pulling her close to his body. Bec rested her head on his chest, just above his heart. They stood like that for a moment, getting used to the feeling of they bodies pressed close. Jack drew back after a moment and loosely draped his arms around her waist.  
  
'I take that's a yes, then' he laughed, stroking her cheek softly. Bec felt her face grow warm and nodded, unable to speak. He continued to stroke her cheek, and then leaned in and Bec found herself stepping closer to him. There lips met she closed her eyes, relishing the moment. She pulled away after a moment and smiled coyly at him.  
  
'Well I better be going' she said unlocking her front door.   
  
'Okay. We have to meet up again sometime' said Jack, his cheeks slightly pink from the kiss.   
  
'I'd like that' replied Bec, unable to stop the grin spreading across her face. Jack nodded back and he began walking back to his car, and Bec entered her house. She kicked off her heels and locked the door and ran singing up the stairs to her bedroom.  
  
'Someone up there does love me' mused Bec as she struggled out of her dress into her nightshirt. She paused in front of the mirror, and what she saw pleased her. A confident, bright-faced girl replaced the bundle of insecurities and misgivings she usually saw. Pleased with her observations, she hopped down stairs to make herself a mug of hot chocolate, unable to keep the spring out of her step.   
  
  
  
It was around midnight when Phoenix had finally fallen asleep, and Carlos slipped out of bed and went down stairs to get a glass of water. He opened the fridge and got some ice out, and dropped two cubes into his glass, sipped it thoughtfully. He and Phoenix had come back to his house, under the pretence of having coffee and had winded up in bed. Carlos drank some more of the cool liquid, savoring the refreshing taste. He slumped against the kitchen unit and tried to get his head together.   
  
The moon outside had become obscured by clouds, the dull glow escaping from behind the cloud blanket matched his feelings accordingly. Phoenix had been invigorating. He had almost felt her fiery spirit enter him and swim his body, the fire from the bird that rose from the ashes. But when he looked down, he kept on imagining Becca's face looking up at him, her eyes full of love and passion…her body close to his. Carlos drained the last of the glass and hauled himself up from the floor.  
  
His mind was confused. One moment he was ready to run away into the sunset with Phoenix, next he was fantasizing about Becca. He loved both of them for different reasons, and he couldn't decide which he wanted. Phoenix was full of soft fire, curvy and sweet, and Becca was sensitive and innocent, petit and cute. His decision had basely been made for him, as Becca had seemed to be enjoying herself with Jack and he had more or less committed himself to the girl who was sleeping upstairs in his bed.   
  
Without another thought, Carlos padded up the stairs and slid into bed next to his sleeping goddess, and wrapped his arms around her slender waist. She murmured something in her sleep and he kissed the nape of her neck lightly, before falling asleep himself.   
  
  
  
  
Chicky Sez: Wheeeeew! That was long! Sorry it took so long to get out, I had a lot of work on concerning an experiment that needed constant observation. What do you guys think? This is pretty long compared to the others, but I like to get events ove rin one chapter, and have stuff neatly arranged like that. Stay tuned for what happens next in Robertsville!  
  
Sayonara…xXx Chicky Tifa 


	12. Trickz n Treats

Trickz n Treats  
  
  
'Would you choose water over wine  
Hold the wheel and drive…'  
  
'Drive' by Incubus.   
  
Bec tried to block out the buzzing of the alarm clock, but with no avail. The sun was shining forcefully into her bedroom, and she seriously wished she had closed her curtains before going to bed, as the rays were penetrating through, and making her back hot.   
Succumbing to the almighty alarm clock, she grunted and swung herself out of bed and turned the clock off. Yawning, she carefully made her bed, adjusting the blue eiderdown and plumping up the pillows. The blue eiderdown reminded her of the spiky blond, blue eyed stranger who had waltzed into her life yesterday.   
  
Just thinking of Jack put a smile on her face, and her cheeks grew warm when she remembered the brief brush of lips at the doorway. The kiss had been simple, plain and sweet and made her quiver inside. She'd been touched when he'd asked her to the dance, not the giggly schoolgirl type, but she'd relished the way he'd tumbled over his words and suddenly gone shy.  
The best part of the night however, was when she overcame her fear and talked to Carlos, and now she was satisfied that they could go back to what they were before. Friends. She bit her lip slightly at the thought, but couldn't stem why she suspected the word 'friend' was heavily loaded. She quickly hopped into the bathroom to shower, and to avoid examining her present situation with the word 'friend' and Carlos in the same sentence.   
  
  
  
'Jilly! Get your red ass down here!' shouted Chris from the bottom of the stairs. He heard a noise of exasperation and a thud, and finally Jill came running down the stairs, beret in hand and her uniform on. She dropped to one knee and tied her shoelace, and pulled on her denim jacket.   
  
'My ass is not red, I prefer to refer to it as rose-pink' growled Jill as she patted her foundation into her skin, to mask the redness of her still raw skin.   
  
'Don't give me fancy shit Valentine, Miss Literature. You are talking to a jock here' Chris reminded Jill as they walked outside to Jill's convertible, giving her a lopsided grin that had enticed so many admirers.   
Jill mock pouted, and put her hands on her hips and looked him square in the eyes.   
  
'Don't pull that grin on me, Mr Left Quarterback, Miss Literature is clever enough to know when to keep her underwear on unlike the over processed blond cheerleaders you have successfully conquered over before' she said opening the car door and sitting in the passenger seat. Chris shrugged and got into the driver's seat.  
  
The couple were soon heading towards the RPD, the top down on Jill's red Mercedes-Benz (the government's way of thanking her after demolishing Umbrella), the morning sun warm on their backs. Chris pushed the speed limit slightly, as the road was clear except for the early morning joggers, visible from their neon running kit.   
  
'What are we going to tell the others?' asked Jill as they drove down Spencer Avenue, and stopped at the traffic lights.   
  
'Just that Becky and Jack hit off fine, and that Carlos happened to be there with Phoenix, but nothing happened' said Chris, driving the smart car fiercely as if it needed to be taught a lesson. Jill's brow furrowed in thought and she finally nodded.   
  
The wind was whipping her hair back, and Jill looked out at the pleasant suburban landscape, the weak morning sun shining down on the placid streets. The only people out at the moment were the fitness freaks, stick-insect bodies dressed in clashing lycra, jogging to the beat of music coming from their earphones.  
A young college aged student walked down to the convenience store with another girl. Jill strained her ears when she heard the topic of conversation.   
  
'Apparently, she's pregnant' said the boy to the girl. The girl pouted her lips, her eyes levelled down in angry slits.   
  
'He couldn't fertilise a garden' she declared, trotting down the sidewalk, her stilettos clicking on the pavement, making her walk seem demonic. Jill chuckled and sat back down in her seat.   
  
'So Chris, you were a jock, huh?' she asked him, as they rounded a corner. Chris turned and gave her a strange look.   
  
'Yeah, why?' he asked, puzzled, trying to figure out what Jill was up to. Jill tried hard to suppress her mirth, as she had extracted some information from Claire on one of her non-coherent times.  
  
'Really tough and strong, yeah?' she said all big eyed. Chris eyed her suspiciously, and then swerved to avoid driving into a parking meter.  
  
'What's with all the questions?' he asked, flicking up an eyebrow and squinting at her.   
  
'Just that Claire told me that at your first day at Senior High you wet yourself because you couldn't find the bathrooms, then told everyone you'd fallen in a puddle' she said sweetly, giggling and prodding Chris. Chris gave her a dirty look and again swerved to avoid a traffic light.   
  
'I'm gonna kill her….' He muttered, and then began tickling Jill with his free hand. Jill laughed girlishly and pinched him hard, making him stop and rub the sore area on his shoulder. The pair continued to drive to the PD, twittering and exchanging punches and/or insults.   
  
  
'Claire, Baby don't make me get outta bed' moaned Leon from the depths of the duvet. Claire was trying in vain to rouse him, but as her persuasion wasn't helping, she took a running leap and bounced on the bed and pummelled Leon with a pillow.  
  
'Leon, we'll be late for the 3rd time this week' yelled Claire, pounding Leon relentlessly with her pillow, and then her fists. She was already washed and dressed, but Leon hadn't stirred from the vicinity of the bed yet. Leon moaned again.  
  
'Claire, my groin is killing me. And you pounding it isn't helping' groaned Leon, his eyes bleary and tired. Claire took pity on him and sat back on her heels, and regarded him. She placed a hand on his forehead, and drew it back quickly.   
  
'Your coming down with something, maybe you better stay in bed…'she said, staring at him concernedly. At that comment, Leon jumped like a firecracker from the bed and dived into the bathroom.  
  
'I'll be down in 15 minutes' he shouted, and then Claire could hear the noise of the shower being turned on. She sat down on the unmade bed and prided herself on her tactics. Leon would never take a day off work; he couldn't let his tough image be ruined. Though Claire couldn't place what he thought was his tough image, if being tough involved tripping up and giggling like a schoolgirl.   
  
  
  
Chris ducked behind a corner and kept close to the wall. He looked sideways then slunk into the infirmary and crouched behind a bed and waited for the others to arrive. As if on cue, he heard footsteps outside, and peeked around the bed and saw Carlos dive behind a bed.   
  
'Chris, man you there?' whispered Carlos from behind a bed.   
  
'Here' whispered Chris back. Carlos crawled over, his form noiselessly sliding across the vinyl floor, clutching a bag containing all the props. He slid the bag under the bed and sat hunched up, hugging his knees with a boyish grin on his face.  
  
'I feel so stupid hiding behind a bed, what if someone finds us?' he whispered to Chris who was looking at his watch.   
  
'They'll think we're not the stud heterosexuals they know us to b, that we hide behind beds in our breaks to catch up on….stuff' muttered Chris, looking at his watch exasperatedly, shaking his wrist. 'Where is Leon?'  
  
'He should be here soon, he was trying to get out of Claire's clutches' replied Carlos, staring at the floor, waiting for Leon to show. There was a noise in the corridor, and Leon's dishevelled form waddled in and looked conspicuously around.   
'Guys?' he asked tentatively, looking around the room.   
  
'Over here' answered Chris, poking his head from behind the bed. Leon waddled over and flopped himself down next to Chris and gave a wry smile.   
  
'Sorry I'm late, I tried to sneak out without arousing Claire's suspicions' said Leon, trying to arrange his legs in a comfortable position in the cramped room of the bed.   
  
'We're all here now. Let's go over the final plans' broke in Carlos, eager to get the meeting over. He was unsure about hiding out here, as if they were caught, then all rumours would start flying.   
  
'Okay, first the lights cut out. That's Carlos's job, so you gotta be outta the room and give the signal when you're about to leave so we can get ready' Chris said, ticking off an item on the list.   
  
'Then when the lights are out, Leon, you should leave to 'check the fuse box' and then go get your costume on, okay?' continued Chris, smiling devilishly at the quivering Rookie.   
  
'And when me and Leon are out, you Chris make the 'adjustments' to the statue of Lincoln in the room' said Carlos, relaxing against a cupboard.   
  
'Then I'll leave the room, and together me and Carlos will get the lights on again, and then Leon you perform your stuff' finished Chris, smacking the Rookie lightly on the back. Leon looked as though he was having a seizure.   
  
'I can already imagine spending that money right now' mused Carlos, thinking of what he would buy with the prize money from Barry.   
  
'Perfect way to round off the evening' commented Chris, looking at Leon's glazed eyes and silent face.   
  
And with that, the trio snuck out of the infirmary and out in the corridor, Carlos stashing the 'props' in his locker, and then following the others back to the office.   
  
  
  
'Can't believe it's tomorrow!' exclaimed Claire, bouncing up and down on her desk, in danger of toppling backwards off the small table.   
  
The three women were discussing the upcoming dance, which was looming for them the next day, and were already getting themselves psyched up for the much anticipated event. They were holding court on a couple of desks, as the others were out in the cafeteria, and the guys had disappeared somewhere. It was prime time to muse over the event, whilst eating a modest lunch of sandwiches and mountain dew that Claire had bought from the nearby convenience store.   
  
Rebecca took a bite out her ham and salad baguette and took a long gulp of mountain   
Dew, swinging her booted feet off the end of the desk.   
'And I find a date just in time' cut in Bec, from Claire's monologue.   
  
'You do?' asked Claire curiously, cocking up a well-plucked eyebrow. Claire cracked open her can of Mountain Dew, and regarded Bec with patented Claire inquisitiveness.   
  
Jill prodded Bec and gave her a probing look. Bec said nothing and continued to drink her Mountain Dew under the stare of the two curious women. Claire chewed thoughtfully, never taking her eyes off Bec and Jill took a slurp of Dew through a straw, eyes pinned on Bec.   
  
'Don't keep us in suspense' said Claire, rolling her eyes and throwing her wrappers in the trashcan. Jill finished her Dew and tossed it away. Bec lethargically walked across to the trashcan and disposed of her rubbish, so slowly until Claire's fiery temper finally cracked.   
  
'C'mon already, don't do this waiting game to us!' she exclaimed, lying down on the desk thumping her fists on the desk rhythmically.   
  
Bec sat down on the desk and resumed swinging her legs. The ticking of the noise was the only noise in the room, and it sounded loud in the still room.   
  
'Jack asked me to go with him-' started Bec modestly, looking at the ground, a smile creeping up her face, and Claire cut in and almost toppled off the desk.   
  
'Nice one! Give me the details' she pleaded, landing on the floor with a thud, scrambling up quickly and crouching on the floor in front of Becca, eye alight and excited.   
  
'-And I said yes' finished Bec simply, much amused with Claire kneeling at her feet and with Jill's satisfied look. Bec got up and walked across to Jill and hugged her gratefully.   
  
'Thanks for setting me up Jill' she said quietly.  
  
'No prob. anything for a friend' said Jill patted Bec's shoulder, and smiling.   
  
'Anything else happen?' questioned Claire, having reclaimed her position on the desk and was sitting in a locust position, cupping her cheeks with her hands.   
  
'Nothing much' said Bec discreetly, taking pleasure in teasing Claire with her simple answers. Jill cocked up an eyebrow and looked doubtful.   
  
'He gave you a lift home…' said Jill lightly, letting the sentence trail unconcernedly.   
  
'And then he asked me, I said yes and he went home' stated Bec, emphasising the home part.   
  
Jill and Claire still looked doubtful, but no more musing could continue as the arrival of the three males stopped them.   
  
Chris, Leon and Carlos almost slunk into the room and avoided eye contact with the women, and conspicuously sat down on the spare desks, not talking.   
  
'Where'd you guys go off to?' asked Claire, the ever tactful one, prodding Chris who looked surprised.   
  
'Weapons locker. Checking the Berettas for shooting practice today' cut in Carlos swiftly, nudging Chris and flashing them a confident smile, like an advertisement for a toothpaste company.   
The three women shared a glance and shrugged. Jill searched each one of the men's faces carefully, trying to pick up on what they were planning. They had been acting strange for the past two weeks, their secretive behaviour going unnoticed by nobody.   
  
'Yeah' added Leon, his cheeks burning red, biting his knuckles. Claire opened her mouth to interrogate her love god, but was interrupted with the arrival of the rest of team, entering the room noisily, fresh from their lunch break. Chris immediately stood behind his desk and motioned to everyone to get into place.   
  
  
'Listen up! Everyone's on the shooting range this afternoon, except for Carlos and Claire, you're acting as back up for any situations that involve the PD, so head down to the Control Room for now' ordered Chris to the see of faces in front of him.   
  
The team grunted in response, making Chris grin at their communication techniques, consisting of animal grunts and guttural noises. The team rose to leave the room, Claire and Carlos gathering necessary files to work on while waiting in the Control Room.   
  
Bec sauntered down the hall with Jill, turning off to the Weapons Lockers to grab fingerless gloves and the ammo caches and boxes of well-used Berettas.   
  
'What's up with the guys?' asked Bec and she counted the number of fingerless gloves in the box, sorting through them quickly.   
  
'No idea, I think we'll find out tomorrow' replied Jill, heaving the ammo cache up onto one arm and a couple of Berettas on the other arm.   
  
They both headed out to the shooting range with the others, both trying to figure out what was up with the guys.   
  
  
  
'Whassup Spanish Amigo?' asked Claire, nudging the dazed Carlos. 'Spacing out about a certain red headed girl again, are we?'.  
  
Carlos jumped, thinking that Claire had guessed he was thinking about Becca dressed up in her dress last night. He tried to gather his thoughts and come up with a suitable reply.   
  
'She was wearing a really nice dress' returned Carlos, chewing on his pen frantically.   
  
'And I bet it was on your bedroom floor afterwards, huh?' quipped Claire, lounging back in her chair, watching him closely.   
  
Carlos was at a loss to say, and gaped. He could see Claire was watching carefully, and tried to seem nonchalant and carefree.   
  
'Jack gave her a lift home' he said quickly.  
  
Claire looked confused and furrowed her brow in thought.   
  
'But I thought Jack gave Bec a lift home?' she asked, puzzled. Her green eyes so like Chris's, were staring at him, the identical green pools eyeing him shrewdly. Carlos gaped again and the realisation hit him she was talking about Phoenix, and that he had let some stuff slip about Bec.   
  
'Right…'affirmed Claire, her green eyes still probing him. 'You still have a thing for Bec, don't you?' she asked, with the tact of an army truck. She waited for his answer, no emotion in her eyes.   
  
'That obvious?' he wondered out loud, chewing the pen hard.   
  
'Only to me. Listen, she has Jack now, you have Phoenix, don't mess everything up for her' Claire almost pleaded, green eyes solid and hard. Carlos was thrown by her reaction, expecting her to start giggling or act the wise guy.   
  
'I won't, I'm not that stupid. The dance is tomorrow, I won't ruin it for her' said Carlos, nearly whispering. Claire dropped her head to catch his words. Claire gave him a warm smile, which was, as close to a thank you Carlos would get from her.   
  
Carlos tried to break the tension with a joke. 'Claire, I know you loooove me' he said winking at the gum chewing girl, swinging his arm around her. Claire removed his arm and dropped it like it was dead carp and eyed him.   
  
She twirled a lock of hair around her finger and smiled flirtatiously at Carlos.   
'You really wanna know how much I like you, huh?' she asked naughtily, leaning close to Carlos so her nose nearly brushed his. Carlos looked taken aback, and he composed himself quickly.   
  
'Go ahead, Mi Chica' he drawled, winking at her.   
  
'I'm about as attracted to you, as I am attracted to Hannibal Lector' she said swinging her chair round and beginning to work. 'And that isn't a good thing'.   
  
Carlos let out a low whistle and picked up his pen and stared at the page.   
  
The pair began to work through paper work silently, thinking of what the next day might hold.   
  
  
'Another day over. Tomorrow evening…' said Bec, wiping the sweat from her face, and slouching against her locker in the changing rooms.   
  
Chris grunted an affirmative, and stuck his head in his locker to dump off his gloves and vest. Jill walked out of a cubicle in a red RPD t-shirt, throwing her blue STARs shirt into her locker, running her fingers through her red hair. Leon sauntered out with Claire on his arm. It was the end of the day and they were all heading home, back to a good dinner and an early night.   
  
Gradually the room became empty and only Bec was left struggling to take her gloves off. They were a size too small for her, and were clinging to her skin with sweat and she was almost spinning in circles to try and get them off.   
  
'Need a hand?' asked a deep voice, with a hint of laughter. Startled, Bec looked up and saw Jack standing by the door, chuckling at her exhibition of 360-degree turns.   
  
'You scared me! I can't get these gloves off' she explained, yanking at the tough leather straps. Jack reached forward and expertly pried open the loose clasps, and had pulled the gloves off, and tossed them in the glove compartment.   
  
'Thanks' Bec said gratefully, rubbing her hands lightly. Jack leaned forward and tickled her chin lightly, before stooping down to kiss her. As they drew back, Bec slid her fingers into the front pockets of his jeans.   
  
'So what are your plans for tonight?' he asked idly, ruffling her hair slightly.   
  
'Nothing' said Bec simply, smiling shyly at her blue eyed prospector.   
  
'How about dinner round my place?' he suggested, shrugging lightly.   
  
'Sounds great. I have to pick up some stuff from my office, how about I meet you out the front in five?' she said, trying to suppress her excitement.   
  
'Sure, I'll see ya there then' he said, nodding. Bec walked out through the locker room, trying to take the spring out of her step, but was unable to. She half danced into the office, where Carlos was stacking his stuff together.   
  
'Letter came for you' he said, handing her a white envelope. Bec frowned, wondering whom the sender might be. She opened her shoulder bag and threw it in, noticing the 'Washington' address on the envelope.   
  
'Where you off to?' asked Carlos absently as he pawed through files and folders.   
  
'Jack's place for dinner' Bec replied, tying up her bootlace so that Carlos couldn't see her expression.   
  
'Have fun' he said simply as she left the room. Before she left, she turned around and looked at him.   
  
'Yeah?' he asked, wondering what was up. Bec had a naughty smile on her face, and had one arm on her hip.   
  
'You wouldn't mind doing my paperwork tonight?' she asked innocently, batting her eyelashes at him. Carlos was tempted to say yes, but decided a better comeback.   
  
He grinned at her, and laid his hands flat down on the desk. Bec stepped in closer, and stared at him wide eyed.   
  
'I love to do it' he said simply, smiling. Bec narrowed her eyes and looked at him disbelievingly.  
  
'Well' she started, but Carlos's laugh broke in.   
  
'I love to do it, as much as I'd like to give a constipated goose a suppository' finished Carlos, laughing and opening his eyes wide.   
Bec looked at him angrily, and lunged at him across the desk. Carlos stumbled backwards as he caught her flying form, and proceeded to chuckle as she play thumped him and soon they were having a friendly fight, like they used to.   
  
He lowered his arms and began tickling her, till she dropped backwards and was lying on the floor, giggling uncontrollably. Carlos crouched down next to her and planted his arms either side of her body and leaned forward.   
  
Bec drew back, surprised at his seriousness and waited for him to speak. He leaned in close until he was close to her face.   
  
'Boo!' he whispered, making her jump violently. She hit him again and they were rolling over laughing, until they separated, lying on the floor next to each other, heaving with laughter and breathless. Carlos reached for her hand and looked at her.   
  
'I've missed being your friend' he said quietly, looking at the floor. Bec sat up and gave his hand a squeeze.  
  
'Me too' she agreed. She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek and stood up to leave.   
  
'Have a good time tonight. And don't be shy…your mother wasn't!' he teased, standing up.   
  
Bec tossed her head and laughed, before leaving the room. When she had left, Carlos put a hand to cheek and sighed. He smiled weakly, and sat down to work.  
  
'Life isn't perfect, but it's as good as it could be' he mused, leaning back in his chair. He rummaged in his drawer, and came up with the invitation to the RPD Dance, which was commencing the next day. He traced his fingers around the gold and writing, and smiling thoughtfully he stashed it away in his desk. A lot of stuff was going to happen tomorrow, and it'd definitely be a night to remember.   
  
'Hannibal Lector eat your heart out' he said to the empty room, as he began to do his paper work. The radio was fainting playing, and Carlos picked up the lyrics of the song. The song was 'Drive' By Incubus.   
  
  
"It's hit me before, it seem to have a vague   
Haunting mass of appeal,  
And lately I'm beginning to find that I  
Should be the One behind The Wheel.   
  
Whatever tomorrow brings  
I'll be there,  
With open arms and open eyes,  
Yeah.  
Whatever tomorrow brings,  
I'll be there,  
I'll be there….yeah"  
  
Carlos listened to the song until the end, and then got up and turned the radio off.   
  
'Bec, I'll always be there' he said, watching her through the window get into Jack's car, the pair of them driving off.   
  
  
  
Chicky sez: Whoooah! I'm on a roll, I've gotten the past two chapters out really quickly! Must be my sugar high. Well, this chapter is a bit lighter hearted than the past couple, and soon the dance will be upon our favorite heroes! Don't expect this fic to end at the dance, what happens at the Dance and afterwards is when this story ends! More comedy and hilarity from the gang.  
  
The song at the end: Okay, a bit sappy to use this song at the end, but hey, It's one of my favorite songs! It's not a tearjerker; it sums up Carlos's feelings that he'll always be there for a friend.   
  
Reviewers:-  
  
Christie Redfield: Thanks for the kind emails and your reviews on my fic.   
  
Fle: Thank you for being faithful and waiting while I got chapters ready, and keeping up with this everlasting story.   
  
Chris 'n' Jill: Chris-Chan, I hafta kill you make you review my fic, but hell, I promise not to kill you.   
  
Darth Bond, Sakura, Lily, Jilly Bean, Karol Nibelhim, thank you for the kind words on my fic.   
  
Next Chapter out soon….watch this space! 


	13. Got My Dancing Shoes On

Got My Dancing Shoes On  
  
But you could say Baby,  
Baby can I hold you tonight,   
Baby if I told you the right words,  
At the right time,  
You'd be mine,  
  
'Baby Can I Hold You' By Tracy Chapman.   
  
  
  
Bec smoothed the front of her dress down and hitched up her flesh coloured stockings. She pushed her feet into her seldom worn strappy shoes, and deftly pinned up a curl. Her dressing table was littered with cosmetics and her bed was strewn with discarded clothes.   
Humming excitedly, she switched on the radio and began to search for her coat. The long denim coat was dressy, but casual and Bec pulled it on over her dress and smoothed down the lapels.   
  
So far, everything had gone right. She had decided to wear the dress she had worn on the dinner date, instead of pawing through her entire closet madly. She was proud of her choice, the little black number clung to curves she hadn't known had existed, and complimented her small, petit figure.   
Sure, she'd be no match for Claire or Jill, but she was looked good anyway. She sprayed on a bit of perfume, and applied a little make up, not wanting to imitate a clown in appearance.   
  
The clock read seven o'clock, and she still had half an hour to wait until Jack came to pick her up. She sat down on her bed to wait, but being unable to keep still, she found herself dancing around the room, grinning like the cat that ate the canary. Bec figured the reason why she was so excited was because she hadn't done the dance/party thing in high school or at College and she was eager to get a taste of the teenage life she had missed out on.   
  
The ring at the door made her jump, and she hurriedly switch off the radio and darted down the stairs to meet Jack.   
  
  
'Stand still Leon!' ordered Claire, jabbing him with her free hand. With her free hand she was trying to tie Leon's bowtie, but him squirming like a worm didn't exactly help her. Leon pouted his lips, and frowned like a little boy. Claire continued to brusquely tit the bow tie, and finally lost her temper when Leon dodged away from her.   
  
'Goddamnit Leon, It's only a bow tie, stand still' she said, hands on hips glaring at the cowering Leon.   
  
'You'll end up strangling me!' he yelled before dashing out of the room, Claire ran after him dressed in only her underwear and petticoat, after Leon who had escaped out of the window and was heading for the back fence, clad in his boxer shorts and dress shirt. Not bothering about footwear, Claire dived out of the window, in pursuit of her irascible boyfriend.   
  
'I'm guna get you!' she yelled and lunged at Leon, tackling him to the ground, and proceeding to straddle him and by holding him down with one hand, she began to tie up his bowtie.   
  
Leon resisted for a second, but gave in; unable to shift Claire's weight off him, and finding the grass dewy he was eager to get up. After a few minutes, Claire had tied the black bow tie up.   
  
'There, that wasn't so hard was it' she commented, prodding Leon in the forehead with her index finger. Leon squinted back up at her, her mouth curling into a boyish smile.   
  
'I kinda prefer it this way' he said winking at Claire, who narrowed her eyes at him, and leaned down to kiss him. Leon manoeuvred his arms and locked them around Claire's shoulders, and they continued to kiss on the back lawn. Claire pulled away after a few minutes and stood up and stretched.   
  
'What's the rush?' asked Leon, mystified. Claire dusted herself off and hauled Leon to his feet.  
  
'We have a dance to get ready for, c'mon, get your ass in gear' she said, dragging him to the back door, and frogmarching him upstairs.   
  
'Or we could skip and just stay here….and maybe go in the hot tub' said Leon, winking suggestively at Claire, svelte in her skimpy petticoat and black lace underwear. Claire's brow furrowed in thought and Leon inwardly triumphed.   
  
"Ha. No initiation for me" he thought, grinning happily, now that a large burden was of his mind.   
  
'No. This is the one social event in the RPD Calendar I want to go to' she said dismissively, reaching for her 'burnt bronze' dress and tugging it over her head. She sipped up the back and reached for her flesh coloured stockings. She looked up to see Leon bemusedly watching her.   
  
'What are you waiting for? The sooner we go there, the sooner we can come back and I'll show you the treat I have lined up for afterwards' quipped Claire, handing Leon a pair of black pants and taking his jacket out of the closet.   
  
'It better be a damn good surprise, Claire' he muttered darkly, stepping into his itchy dress trousers.   
  
  
'Wow' was all Chris could say when Jill stepped out of the bathroom, clad in her satin blue strapless dress, clinging to her curvaceous body bringing out the blue hues in her sparkling eyes. She twirled and stood in front of Chris, clasping his hands.   
'What do you think?' asked Jill, pleased at Chris's awestruck look.   
  
'You look beautiful' he said simply, drawing her in and looking deep into her eyes. He cupped her cheek and continued to look down at her, smiling. He ducked his head and tilted her chin up, and kissed her full lips softly, and drew away.   
  
'I promise not to play dares this time' said Jill, breaking the silence. Chris chuckled and dropped his arms so they rested around her slim waist.   
  
'Keep me away from the Mayor's daughter then' he joked, flinging Jill into a romantic dip and kissing her again, with more passion and then losing his balance and dropping her with a thud to the floor. He shortly followed, landing on top of her.   
  
'Not the smoothest move, Redfield' she said dryly, as Chris rolled off Jill and helped her to her feet.   
  
'That's just me. I usually ruin the moment' he said, colour welling up in his cheeks as he dusted Jill down.   
  
'That's the part of Redfield I love' she said, gazing at him lovingly and snaking her arms around his neck. 'Now shut up and kiss me, lover' she ordered. Chris was happy to comply and did so. Jill then sat down on the bed, and reached for her strappy sandals, while Chris laced up his formal shoes.   
  
'How do I look?' asked Chris, standing up and pouting his lips like a moody model. Jill's eyes roved over his tall, well built form, dressed in black pants, blue shirt, black tie and black blazer. His black hair stood up spikily, his green eyes bright on his tanned skin.   
  
'Like a proper charmer' said Jill, a slow smile creeping up her face. 'Who needs Brad Pitt, when I've got my Redfield?' she asked coyly, glazing up at Chris's clear green eyes.   
  
'You, my perfect replacement for Jennifer Anniston' replied Chris, winking at her. He looked at his watch. 'Time to go?' he asked Jill, who was going through hysterics in trying to zip up the back of her dress. Chris reached over and zipped the back up snugly, his hand resting on the clasp of her bra.  
  
Jill spun around and teasingly put a manicured finger to his lips, and pouted sexily.  
'We'll have fun later, Mr Redfield, save the funny business till later' she purred, slanting her blue eyes naughtily. Chris nodded, and as Jill turned her back, he smacked her butt.  
  
'I said later!' retorted Jill in indignation. Chris shrugged and gave her a lopsided grin that always won her over. He was a little tense, as not only did he have to carry out the prank, he also had to drop a bombshell on the group that could change their lives considerably. He pasted a smile on his face and caught hold of Jill's hand as they walked down to the convertible.   
  
  
Carlos knew he should have been getting ready, but he couldn't. He could never get ready early. It just wasn't his style. All he had to do was put on his suit, comb his hair and lace his shoes, and then he was done. Chances were that he would spill or stain his suit if he got dressed early, and right now he was most comfortable in his baggy combats and t-shirt.  
  
He took a slurp from his mountain dew, and buried himself in the weekly snowboarding magazine he had ordered. Carlos's favorite sport was snowboarding (next to babe watching), and he had already planned how he was going to spend his prize money from the prank: A week's snowboarding in Colorado, with his snow bunny, Phoenix.   
She had mentioned about her trips to Canada to ski and board, so who better to bring with him to keep him warm on the cold nights, than his chick, Phoenix?  
  
'She would look damn hot in a ski-suit' mused Carlos, as he looked through the catalogue pages of the magazine. He could imagine it all, coming in from a day of boarding, finishing with a candle light dinner at a fancy restaurant and a sleigh ride home. Then a cosy night in front of a roaring fire….then to the hot tub….and then….  
  
Carlos's mind raced with possibilities, when he noticed the time. He had than ten minutes to get ready, as he was meant to be picking Phoenix up on the way. He dashed downstairs, and into the living room where his suit was draped over the sofa.   
  
He ran upstairs, flung off his clothes and threw them in the closet, and cavorted around the room trying to pull on the seldom worn suit. He yanked on his shoes, laced them quickly, and slicked his hair back, spiking the ends slightly.   
  
He swiped his keys off the kitchen surface and was out of the door and in the car, reversing out of the drive and down to Phoenix's house. He glanced at his watch again and realised it had taken him less than 3 minutes to get ready.   
  
'Smooth' he mused, and reached forwards to turn on the radio.  
  
  
So this is how our favorite heroes prepared themselves for the long-awaited day, each expressing excitement and happiness in different ways, all eagerly awaiting the dance. A lot was going to happen that night. A lot of things were going to change. Forever.   
  
  
Chicky sez: Hey all. Sorry this took so long, but I didn't like it at first and edited it a few times till I was satisfied. The next chapter, where conflict, hilarity and action all merge together to form a memorable night will be out as soon as possible, so stay tuned for the next instalment for 'Come Dance With Me….'  
  
Ps. This fic will not end after the dance is over. No way. You have been warned….J 


	14. The Dance of Life: The Race Begins

The Dance of Life: The Race Begins  
  
'Some people call me the Space Cowboy,   
Some call me the Gangster of Love,  
Some call me Maurice,  
Because I speak for the Politics of Love….'  
  
'The Joker' by the Steve Miller Band.  
  
  
'We're here!' shouted Claire, jumping out of the car, holding her dress up, and trotting in her heels. Claire's eyes sparkled as she surveyed the scene, her eyes roving over the busy car park. She could barely recognise some officers out of their uniform, and she caught sight of many couples, the men dressed in formal suits and women tottering around in casual/formal dresses, hobbling from the unfamiliar high heels.   
  
She stopped and watched as she saw a red Mercedes drive up and park, and from the passenger seat stepped Jill, gracefully sweeping out of the car, not a hair out of place and looking comfortable and at ease in her blue strapless dress and plain blue wedge heeled sandals.  
Chris emerged from the other side, well groomed, in his suit and formal shoes. He still managed to maintain the military look even in a suit, so he looked like a young version of James Bond. He looked slightly uncomfortable in his crisp blue shirt and tie, but his face glowed with happiness as he watched the scene of activity unfolding before him.   
  
'Leon, you look great' complimented Jill, pleased with the Rookie's appearance. Leon usually looked cutely dishevelled in his cop uniform, but in his smart suit and bow tie (courtesy of Claire) he looked like a well-assured, handsome young man socialising with his friends.   
  
'Thanks, you too' returned Leon, taking in Jill's ever-stunning appearance, trying not to snigger at the foundation rubbed on her neck and chest to hide her burns. Claire tugged on his arm and pointed to a pale blue Saab that had just pulled up.   
  
A striking girl with red hair and brown eyes stepped out, dressed in a pale purple long stretchy skirt with a slit up the thigh, and a matching tube top and stilettos, wobbling slightly in the heels but holding her head up high.   
From the passenger seat came Carlos, brow hair slicked back, dressed in a suit but without a tie or bowtie, the top button undone, giving an exotic feeling and Spanish style to his suit.   
This contrasted well with Phoenix's fiery red mane, which was flaring up a spectrum of copper, gold and auburn in the evening sun. They were standing together, Phoenix watching the activity around her with shining eyes and Carlos with his arm around her slender waist, a happy expression matching the others in the group.   
  
'Hey Mis Amigos, what's happening?' called Carlos, as him and Phoenix walked over to them.   
'We've all just arrived. We're waiting for Jack and Becks now' answered Jill, squinting at the road, and finally spotting Jack's red hatchback pull into the busy driveway.   
Jack parked and got out quickly, and opened Becca's door for her, immaculate in his dark blue suit, bearing resemblance to a Bishounen hero, spiked blond hair and eyes as blue as the suit he was wearing. Bec stepped out daintily, dressed in her little black dress and wavy red hair falling lightly to her shoulders.   
  
Carlos couldn't help but notice the way her hips moved in the dress when she walked, the fluid motion hypnotic, and how her grey eyes seemed fresh and pure in her tanned skin. He shook his head lightly and pulled Phoenix a fraction closer, increasing his smile.   
'Jack, you ready?' asked Chris nodding towards the mess hall, which had been turned out and decorated for the dance.   
  
'Yeah. Lead the way' he said enthusiastically, catching hold of Bec's hand and following Chris. Claire and Leon came in behind them, Claire twittering, clutching Leon every few seconds to catch her balance as she was having trouble mastering her heels. Carlos and Phoenix followed at the end, Carlos catching the infectious feeling of excitement, excitement at the dance and something he couldn't quite put his finger on.   
  
  
Claire was leaning heavily on Leon's arm as they stepped into the hall, fairly dancing with anticipation and looked appreciatively at the newly decorated hall. The tables had been moved out of the way, save a few holding light refreshments and drinks, the walls adorned in flower arrangements that scented the room sweetly.   
The statues the normally stood in the main foyer of the RPD had been placed in the hall, around the edges, the main statue of Lincoln situated in the middle near the refreshment tables.   
  
The sound of lilting tunes was filling the hall, and many people were already dancing, or mingling by the edges. Claire spotted the police chief, squeezed into his formal suit, downing his wine quickly, surrounded by his cronies. The wallflowers that wished they hadn't come were standing hopefully by the edges, eagerly, like dogs waiting for their masters.   
The blond bombshell of the RPD team, Liz, was causing a stir among the men, flouncing around in her skimpy blue dress and killer smile. She was giggling over what another officer had said, swaying dangerously in her heels and diamante jewelry. Claire scooted over to listen in on the conversation.   
  
The man who had caused Liz to laugh suddenly turned to the whole group, smiling.  
  
'You know,' he said, grinning at Liz who twittered. 'When I met her, I thought, great, she laughs at my jokes' he then paused for the benefit of the group. 'I then realized, she laughs at anything' he finished, a roar of laughter from the group and Liz storming off to another part of the hall, blond hair flying, heeling clipping angrily on the floor.   
  
Carlos came up and joined Claire, nodding at her, watching the scene.   
'Things are just like high school here' he mused, snagging a mini quiche from a passing waiter. 'We just saw the Left Quarterback rebuke the head cheerleader'.  
Claire smiled at this, and pinched the last bit of Carlos's quiche, and stuffed it in her mouth before he could protest. Carlos quickly stole her glass of wine, and downed it in one gulp, and handed it back to her, an equally devilish smile on his face.   
  
'Be prepared for counter attack, Claire' he quipped, chuckling at her surprised expression. A rousing, uplifting tune started up from the band hired to play, and almost immediately a crowd of people shifted to the dance floor to sway to the music.   
  
Claire's feet danced, and she looked around for Leon, but finding him in engaged in the art of shoving Greek olives up his nose surrounded by an astounded group of admirers, she dismissed the thought. Carlos noticed this, and swiftly fell into place.  
  
'Can I have this dance, Claire, ma chica?' he asked extending his hand and throwing her a flashy smile. Claire half stepped towards him, but backed away, looking around nervously. He mouth tugged up into an uncertain smile.   
  
'Love to, Spanish Amigo, but wouldn't Phoenix mind?' she asked, a little embarrassed. Carlos shrugged and looked around, and found her chatting contentedly to a group of officers with Chris. She looked happy and unconcerned, so Carlos decided to go for it.  
  
'She looks kinda busy the mo'. She won't mind. Well?' he stated, plunging his hands into his pant's pockets. Claire finally smiled and stepped towards him.  
  
'How can I refuse an offer like that?' she replied, excepting Carlos's hand. 'Let's go!' she said, dragging him to the dance floor, weaving their way in between swaying couples and finally finding a spot that wasn't completely taken up. Carlos dropped his arms around her waist in a friendly hug, and she looped her arms around his shoulders.   
  
Claire wasn't short but she wasn't the tallest. Bec was the petit one of the group. She was able to talk to Carlos easily from her position, being a couple of inches shorter than him. They began to sway to the music, and Claire leaned back for a long chat to Carlos.   
  
'So howz things going then?' she asked, carefully moving her feet out of the way of Carlos's slightly un-coordinated feet. She tried not to wince when he landed particularly hard on her foot, and hobbled slightly before getting back into the rhythm.   
  
'Fine, I think life has gotten a lot better' he replied, checking his feet quickly, and quickly stepping out of the way of Claire's foot.   
  
'I saw you' said Claire simply; staring into his eyes, green orbs hardening a fraction. Carlos was taken aback, and stared at her for a couple of seconds before finally catching Claire's trail of thought.   
  
'I'm allowed to look at her' he defended himself, landing hard on her other foot. Claire hobbled, and dug her heel into his foot, making him wince.   
  
'Carlos, I have to admit I've been totally damn wrong in what I've been telling you to do about Becca' relented Claire, hopping on the spot to dodge Carlos's feet, and feeling slightly sweaty in her dress. Carlos cocked up and eyebrow and waited for her to continue.   
  
'You got that one right' he condescended, with a patently fake smile, which immediately vanished when Claire stamped on his foot.   
  
'But Carlos you gotta tell me. Do you still have feelings for her?' said Claire seriously, staring at him. Carlos couldn't read her eyes and felt rooted to the spot. Around them, couples continued to dance, Leon was demonstrating how he could fit a large number of grapes in his mouth to his growing group of admirers, Becca, Jack and Jill were talking and Chris and Phoenix were still engaged in conversation. Carlos swallowed and tightened his hold around Claire.   
  
'Is there a better place where we could discuss this?' he asked uneasily, biting his lip. Claire nodded, and together they sneaked out of the mess hall and into the STARs office.  
  
  
'The trick is, to partially mush up some of the grape' Leon said, demonstrating. The group, which mainly consisted of the wallflowers, a few of the female rookie cops and other such people were watching Leon fit 15 grapes in his mouth.   
  
'Wow, where did you learn this stuff?' asked a pretty brunette, all amazed, fixing her big eyes on Leon. Leon chuckled inwardly.   
  
'Well, you never know when you might have to fit 15 grapes in your mouth, so I have been practicing hard until the day comes' he said, feigning seriousness. The entire group nodded, with equally serious faces. Leon was a little startled, as he had expected them to notice his sarcasm.   
  
Before he could come up with a witty comeback, he spotted Claire and Carlos leaving the room together. He furrowed his brow in thought, and was considering the idea of following them. It wasn't that he didn't trust Claire. He just felt he should check.  
  
'Well guys, I must depart, I have to spread my wisdom elsewhere' he deadpanned to the admiring circle. The brunette pouted.  
  
'See you around, Leon' she said, fixing him again with her large eyes. Leon bowed and grinned.  
  
'Adios, Mis Amigos' he said before the words left his mouth. Carlos was beginning to rub off on him more than he expected. The group looked impressed at his Spanish farewell, so he decided that it wasn't such a bad thing. He casually ran his hand through his hair and sneaked out of the mess hall to find Carlos and Claire.   
  
  
'So your Carlos's new girl?' asked one of the officers to Phoenix. Phoenix nodded politely and smiled. Chris felt like a first class heel, making small talk with these guys when he should be dancing with Jill. He closed his fingers around the object in his pocket and decided to bide his time.   
  
'This here is Phoenix Gully, she's a nurse at the Robertsville Hospital' said Chris, introducing her to the greasy men of the lower RPD. The guys seemed impressed and began to chat to her, and she politely replied to their questions.   
  
Chris looked around, trying not to look impatient. He felt panicky and could feel himself begin to sweat in his formal clothes. He shifted uneasily, and tugged at his collar, which was beginning to color up his neck red. He couldn't leave Phoenix with these guys, Carlos would kill him and he felt a brotherly need to look out for Phoenix.  
  
She really reminded him of Rebecca. Hell, they even looked alike, both tanned and red hair, save the fact that Bec had grey eyes and Phoenix had brown eyes. But in manner and personality, they were dead ringers for each other. Shy. Sweet. Kind. Humorous. He looked around again and noticed Claire and Carlos leave the room. He frowned, not certain of Carlos's intentions. He shortly saw Leon leave the room as well.   
  
Chris's interest was now piqued, and put the disappearances all down to something was up with the prank. If it had anything to do with the prank, he decided to track them and see what was up. He noticed that the group of men has moved on, and Phoenix was smiling at Chris.   
  
'Where's Carlos?' she asked, looking around the bustling hall. Chris felt tongue tied, but quickly came back.   
  
'I don't know. I might have a look for him, I'll be back soon' he said quickly, thankful that Jill, Bec and Jack were heading towards them. Before Phoenix could reply, Chris was out of the room.   
  
  
Jill was puzzled when Chris suddenly left the room when they began to approach. She decided to not get herself worked up about it. She hadn't done anything wrong. But her confusion increased when she realized that Carlos, Leon and Claire where nowhere to be seen.   
  
'Hey, how are you?' asked Phoenix, breaking Jill's trail of thought. She turned to the group and pasted a smile on her face.   
  
'I'm fine. This here is Jack King, an Officer here and I believe you've met Becks' introduced Jill. She had figured that something was up, and Chris's sudden disappearance from the room had meant he was looking into it. Which meant she had to stall these guys until the others reemerged.   
  
She groaned inwardly, she always had the job of stalling. She sighed and began to make small take with the mismatched group.   
  
'Great Dance' commented Jack, looking around the room, still holding Bec's hand. Bec was looking particularly radiant, smiling and looking happier than Jill had seen her in a long time.   
  
'Great' endorsed Jill, eyes scanning the room for the others.   
  
'I love your dress, Becca' ventured Phoenix. Jill felt a rush of comfort for the girl. She was obviously trying to mend the break in between herself and Bec, after the scenarios with Carlos.  
  
'Thank you. You too' added Bec, continuing to smile. Before any more talk could continue, the three reprobates finally returned to the room. But neither of them looked very happy. Jill felt a rush of dread and waited to see what would happen.   
  
  
Claire and Carlos walked into the STARs office and slammed the door. Claire walked over to the air condition, and turned it up full blast and stood in front of it. The packed hall, combined with the tight dress was making her sweat. Her cheeks had a pink flush, and her hair was slightly damp from sweat. She perched on the desk on front of the desk, and watched Carlos.  
  
Carlos was pacing the room, looking agitated. He finally stopped and stood in front of Claire. He raked a hand through his damp hair and took of his jacket and placed on the desk.   
  
'Out with it, Amigo' said Claire curtly, not knowing what to expect.   
  
'Well…I love Phoenix, but I love Becca. I love them both…' Carlos trailed off, his eye having a faraway in them. Claire felt her shoulders droop and thought quickly.   
  
'You can't have them both. You have to decide' she said sternly, getting tired of Carlos's seesaw love interests and wanted to be out on the dance floor with Leon.  
  
'I know…I figured that much' he said lightly, sitting down next to Claire, staring at the ground. Claire turned to face Carlos, and held his gaze with intensity.   
  
'Amigo, I can tell you love Becca. The way you smile at her, the way you change when she's around, how you change from a loser to a charming guy when she's around' she added, smiling slightly to try and break the tension. Carlos chuckled at her last remark, beginning to smile.   
  
'That obvious, huh?' he asked wryly, smiling weakly.   
  
'And the way you check out her ass, instead of your girlfriend's butt' commented Claire, shrugging lightly the air beginning to clear.  
  
'Well lately I have had feelings for her…stronger than the feelings for Phoenix. I love Phoenix, she's a lovely person, but I think I love Becks' he finished, now tongue-tied he had made known his feelings. He dropped his head dismally.   
  
He felt a hand on his shoulder, and looked up into Claire's shiny green eyes, which were glittering slightly. Her face was slightly sad.  
  
'You hafta tell her Amigo, cause if you don't tell her, you'll regret it' she said simply, tightening her grip on shoulder, her eyes shining wetly.   
  
'But what about Jack, she's pretty much hooked up on him' he stuttered, biting his lip and looking towards Claire. She seemed immersed in thought and turned to him.  
  
'So, if you get shot down, return to Phoenix. That way you would have got a lot off your chest, and be able to live without tiptoeing around Bec' she said, simply. Carlos nodded and swallowed and felt Claire's arms snake around his neck, enveloping him a comforting hug. Carlos gratefully slipped his arms around her waist, and buried his face in her hair.   
  
'Thanks' he whispered softly.  
  
The pair exited the room, Claire feeling the trickle of sweat going down her back, and Carlos feeling happier. They met Leon on the way back.  
  
'Hey!' he shouted, jogging up to both of them. 'Where've you guys been?' he asked, raising his eyebrows questioningly. Carlos's jaw dropped, but Claire came to his aid.   
  
'Carlos was just showing me some files and stuff' rattled on Claire, grasping Leon's arm and smiling brightly, chattering away quickly to evade any more questions. Carlos inwardly thanked Claire and breathed a sigh of relief. They began to head back to the hall, when the older Redfield came running up.   
  
  
'Where'd you guys disappear off to? Carlos, Phoenix's wondering where ya are' he said, looking the trio up the down. He observed Claire's red, sweaty face, Carlos's untidy suit and Leon's glowing face, his mind thinking up scenarios….  
  
Claire intervened before her older brother could give birth over the matter.   
  
'It's not what it looks like!' she pleaded to Chris, while he looked more doubtful by the minute. Leon started chuckling, and wrapped his arm around Claire's waist, and gave Chris a conspiratorial wink.   
  
'Carlos couldn't get enough of her' drawled Leon, squeezing Claire's waist and causing her to gulp like an expiring cow. Carlos grinned and draped his arm over Claire's shoulders, smacking her firm rear naughtily. Claire jumped like a firework and gave Carlos a murderous look.   
  
'Okaaaaay' muttered Chris, tired of having to figure out his sister's sexual habits, which ranged from kitchen table adventures to now threesomes with her colleague and boyfriend. Claire finally rose to the occasion and put on a fake smile.   
  
'Big bro, do you know there are 28 positions, 32 if you're flexible?' she purred, throwing her head back and smiling sweetly at Chris who stared at her as if she had sprouted another head. He merely grunted and led the 'threesome' back to the hall.   
  
The band had struck up another tune, and the dance floor was full of couples dancing, the wallflowers which had been huddled by the entrance had disappeared, having left or wallowing in wine by the drinks' table. Chris scanned the room, and his eyes came to rest on Phoenix and Jill talking by a food table.   
  
Bec and Jack were nowhere to be seen; Chris guessed they were on the dance floor. Phoenix looked happy, but slightly peeved and Chris could understand how annoyed she must be feeling. Carlos had jus upped and left her by herself in an unfamiliar place. Chris could see Jill was kindly making conversation with her.   
  
'Hey Babe' said Carlos, walking up to Phoenix nervously and offering his hand. Phoenix took it and dragged him off in the direction of the dance floor. Claire and Leon stumbled off in the same direction.   
  
'Where did you four go?' hissed Jill, tugging Chris's arm indignantly. Chris looked as puzzled as Jill and tried explain where they had been in a coherent fashion.   
  
'Well I ran off to find Leon, who had left the room and as I couldn't see Carlos or my sister, I decided to look into it as I wondered what those three were up to' explained Chris, carefully picking his words. Jill looked at him expectantly.   
  
'Well, I don't know what happened, but Claire was all red and sweaty, Carlos's clothes were untidy, and Leon looked all happy' finished Chris, shrugging and looking at Jill. Jill raised an eyebrow and fixed Chris with a level stare.  
  
'So your telling me, that your sister, her boyfriend and our Amigo were 'doing stuff' in an office?' questioned Jill disbelievingly. Chris shrugged and raked a hand through his hair.   
  
'Do you have a better explanation?' he asked Jill, looking bemused.   
  
'Come to think of it, I don't. What the hell, come on Redfield' she said, grabbing Chris's arm and dragging him onto the dance floor. Chris complied and led her to a vacant spot, next to Claire and Leon and dropped his arms around her waist.   
  
The couple began to sway to the music, forming two halves of a whole, perfectly in sync. They contrasted with the likes of Claire and Leon who were giggling uncontrollably and stumbling about as if drunk out of their minds. Jill sidled up closer to them and laughed over their antics.   
  
'So I hear that you, Leon and Carlos have been up to stuff' said Jill suggestively, swallowing back a laugh as Claire accidentally kneed Leon in his manhood. While Leon was temporarily hobbling about in pain, Claire untangled herself and went over to Chris and Jill.   
  
'Oh you know, table tops, and having two men was an awful lot of fun' twittered Claire convincingly; twirling an auburn lock of hair around her fingers and giggling like a loon. Jill looked taken aback and stared at Claire open mouthed.   
  
'Carlos is with Phoenix though' said Jill, confused. Chris and Jill both stopped and looked at Claire who was turning every colour of the rainbow under their critical stares. Claire giggled, to try and hide her own confusion and to give her more time to wildly think up an excuse.   
  
'He…uhh…he…hey, where's Leon gone?' asked Claire, turning around to see where Leon had gone. Leon's form could be seen running out of the room. Chris suddenly stopped dancing and frowned.   
  
'I'll see what's happening' he said quickly, pecking Jill's cheek and running off in pursuit of the fleeing rookie. He suspected Leon had gotten sudden cold feet and had done a runner to avoid his part in the prank. Chris wasn't going to let the rookie ruin his chance of winning $300 for himself. He decided to give Leon the 'being a player in the game' talk and then drag him back into the hall. Regardless of whether he was kicking and screaming.   
  
  
Jill and Claire watched as Chris set off at a faster pace out of the room. Jill let out a low growl and tapped her foot agitatedly.   
  
'Damn, on the one RPD social event Chris and I bother to attend he does the disappearing act the whole evening' fumed Jill, her fists clenched as she stamped off to the edge of the dance floor, with Claire in tow.   
  
'Well, it isn't his fault. It's partly Leon's, Chris is continually having to chase after him' conceded Claire, scowling. Around them, people danced, drank and ate and the band played on cheerily, while Claire and Jill fumed angrily at their partners.   
  
'Ummm…I guess. Chris has been acting strangely all evening though, so I have no idea what's happening' mused Jill thoughtfully, examining a manicured nail.   
  
'To hell with men! Where better to wallow sorrows, than the drinks table?' asked Claire, standing up and stretching, and pulling Jill up at the same time.   
  
'Lead me to the sherry' Jill passionately declared. The two, slightly wilted flowers headed off to the drinks table to find solace in alcohol.   
  
  
'So Carlos, where did you go?' asked Phoenix sweetly as her and Carlos swayed to the music.   
  
'I had to quickly look over some files, I'm sorry I left you like that' said Carlos apologetically. He felt mean, leaving Phoenix like that, and was dreading what he was going to have to say to Becks later, and felt guilty at dragging Claire into the mess as well.   
  
'Ohh, all right. It's just that Leon and Chris seem to be pulling the disappearing act all evening, and I thought you were gonna as well' said Phoenix lightly. Carlos couldn't think of a suitable excuse or come back, and just brushed a tendril of red hair off her face and planted a light kiss on her lips.   
  
Phoenix pulled back and looked at him thoughtfully out of brown eyes.   
  
'You Spanish Charmer' she said jokingly, resting her head on his chest and continuing to sway to the music.   
  
  
Meanwhile, while Leon and Chris were pulling the disappearing act, Carlos had allegedly had a threesome with Claire and Leon and Jill and Claire had gone off to find happiness in the drinks table, Becca and Jack were completely oblivious and having a good time.   
  
Bec was still trying to get used to the feeling of being held close by Jack and swaying to the music, as she had never overcome her feeling of feeling self conscious while dancing. However, the evening was turning out to be exactly as she had imagined it, which is a rare occurrence. She had on a dress, her make up and hair done, and was dancing with a charming guy at a dance.   
  
'What you grinning at?' asked Jack jokingly; looking at Bec's flushed, smiling face.   
  
'I'm just happy' she replied her smile broadening. Jack chuckled and dropped a kiss on her forehead and whispered into her ear.   
  
' Yours or my place tonight?' he asked. Bec felt a rush of excitement and tried to keep her cool at the question.   
  
'We'll decide when the time comes' she said coyly, winking at Jack, who grinned and leaned in to kiss her again, except this time on the lips. His tongue darted out and lightly touched her lips and Bec felt a trill of anticipation shudder through her body.   
  
'I can't hardly wait' she said, flushing and resting her head on his chest, just tucked underneath her chin.   
  
  
Chris's feet were killing him. Not just aching, but goddamn rubbing his feet. Then again, his formal shoes weren't designed for running. Leon didn't seem to slow down, so Chris had to carry on pursuing him through the winding corridors of the RPD.  
So far he had spent the whole evening tracking members of his party, instead of being out on the dance floor with Jill.   
  
'Hey Leon, wait up!' he shouted as his shoes clattered on the floor of the RPD. Leon stopped running, and Chris breathed a sigh of relief. Leon waited for Chris to catch up with him.   
  
'Where ya off to?' asked Chris suspiciously. Leon seemed calm enough, no signs of hysteria on his features. He wasn't wielding a knife. He seemed composed enough.  
  
'I'm getting the props together for the prank' replied Leon.  
  
'All right. I'll sneak a hint to Carlos to get a move on, when you've got your stuff together, make your way back into the hall. The lights should cut, and the rest of the plan follows, okay?' briefed Chris. Leon nodded back, assured.   
  
'Here, you'll need this to carry out your part of the plan' said Leon, handing Chris a paper bag, with his 'prop' in. Chris took the bag and placed in one of deep pockets in his blazer.   
  
The two pranksters sneak back into the hall.  
  
  
  
'Hmmm….this is good sherry' said Jill, draining the last of the red liquid in her glass. It was the 4th glass she had downed now. Jill's years in the Deltas and STARs team had made her tougher, and she could easily chug away the whole night without feeling tipsy.   
  
Claire on the other hand, was a totally different story. Claire was tougher than the average person, but she wasn't able to withstand as much the others could. Most parties, nights out on the town involved carrying a passed out Claire back home. Claire tottered about in her high heels, swaying dangerously. She reached for another glass of wine, but Jill darted in front of and snatched it away.   
  
'I think you've had enough Claire' hinted Jill, placing the glass out of the Claire's reach. Claire pouted at Jill, her eyes crossed in stupor.  
  
'On Tuesdays, my name is John' was Claire's rather slurred reply. Jill looked about frantically, and tried to think up a way to lead Claire away from the drinks table. With Chris disappearing all evening, she didn't want a passed out Claire on her hands as well. Jill was spared from this by the arrival of the two reprobates.   
  
'Hey honey' Leon said jubilantly, pulling Claire into a hug. Claire hugged him back and grabbed his butt, causing Leon to jump.   
  
'Hehehe…wait till we get home' squeaked Leon, removing Claire's hand from his ass.   
  
Jill looked about for Chris but couldn't see him. She tapped her foot agitatedly; she was getting tired of him frequently disappearing. It was strange, as Chris wasn't like this. Leon was occupied in dragging Claire away from the drink's table, and around her, couples danced. Jill felt drained by the events on the evening.   
  
All of a sudden, the lights cut out. The music stopped abruptly, and room was completely black. People stopped dancing and stared around in amazement.   
  
Leon had draped Claire over a chair, far from the alcoholic drinks and was making his way to the podium.   
  
'The lights have appeared to have gone, I'll go and check the fuse box' he said to the room. At this announcement, people looked relieved and continued to chat and mill around in the darkness, waiting for the lights to come back on so they could resume dancing.   
  
Leon smiled cheekily to himself, and stowed quietly out of the room, and down the corridor to the cupboard where his props were stashed. Grinning, he stole into an empty office and began to change into his 'costume'.   
  
  
Author's notes: Well, sorry for the long wait but I've been trying to get this chapter right for a long time. I didn't want it to be all angst, Cus that's boring and I placed down a few clues as to what's guna happen in the next chapter.   
  
Sayonara! 


	15. A Promise, a Letter and Naked Men

A Promise, a letter and naked men.  
  
'It's something unpredictable,  
But in the end it's right,  
I hope you had the time of your life….'  
  
'Time of Your Life' by Green Day.  
  
  
Chris came tiptoeing into the blackened out room, trying to avoid walking into fellow officers, but succeeding in slamming his knee hard against a conveniently placed table. Swearing under his breath, he continued to creep deeper into the throng of people, trying to make his way to the centre of the room where the statues were.  
He placed his hand in his pocket, to check that his prop was still lodged there.   
  
Chris could make out three large shapes in the dark; they were either very big people (slight emphasis on the very) or the three statues. He made his way to the middle one, and quickly whipping out his prop from his pocket and making the adjustments to the statue, he crept back out of the room.   
  
'Jack, what's happening?' asked Bec, perturbed. The lights had suddenly cut, and the whole room was in complete darkness. The worst part was that several men had sauntered past and more than once she'd felt someone grab her ass.   
  
The part that was even more disturbing was that, she couldn't figure out who they were. Most likely the layabouts from the control room, high on e-numbers from too many sugar doughnuts.   
  
'Leon's gone out to check the fuse box, he'll have the lights on in no time' he said, giving her hand a reassuring squeeze. Bec rested her head against his shoulder and waited for the lights to come back on.   
  
  
'This has to be the most CRAPPEST evening ever' grumbled Jill, wine glass in hand, perched on a chair. Phoenix was sitting next to her, also with a wine glass in her hand.   
  
'You said it…my so-called date has left me repeatedly this evening and comes up with a load of excuses for it' said Phoenix, slightly annoyed, her fine features pulled into a scowl.   
  
'I have no idea where any of our dates are, then to top it off, the lights cut out, they've run out of champagne at the bar and there's no more mini quiches left' growled Jill, rapidly draining her glass of wine and promptly cracking open another bottle. Claire, who was on her other side gurgled a response.   
  
'I think Claire needs more tequila' observed Phoenix in the darkness, topping up Claire's glass. Claire promptly drained the whole glass and began to swig from the bottle.   
  
'At least Bec and Jack are having a good time' commented Jill, watching to the two dark shapes standing next to each other. Phoenix squinted and then grinned at Jill.  
  
'They sure do look happy' she said cheerfully, breaking open another bottle of sherry. 'Do you think they'll mind us drinking up all their alcohol?'  
  
Jill shrugged and knocked back the last of her drink and refilled her glass. 'We would've drunk it all anyway, whether the lights were on or not'.  
  
'True' slurred Claire from her chair, where she was slumped in an undignified position, her hair hanging over her face. 'I don't know where the fuck my love god is, but he better be naked by the time he comes back in' she declared indignantly, rocking backwards and forwards in her chair.   
  
  
  
Before anybody could reply, the lights suddenly came back on, and the room was illuminated in bright light. A collective cheer went up from the formally dressed revellers, which quickly turned to horrified screams and laughter. Jill sat up in her seat to see what the commotion was.   
  
Dragging an incoherent Claire to her feet, still clutching her tequila bottle, and with Phoenix in tow, Jill wandered over to the group forming around the statues in the middle of the room. Jack and Becca were at her side as well, as they made their way through the crowd.   
  
Jill began to laugh when she saw what the subject of disturbance was, and Phoenix began to giggle. Claire smiled drunkenly, gulping down her tequila while Jack began to chuckle and Bec grinned.   
  
A fetching jockstrap had been draped over the statue of Lincoln, complete with pink trimming and sequins. Jill finally began to slot the pieces into place, and had a feeling that she knew who was behind it. Before she could voice her musings, the door flew open. Another collective shriek went up, along with the flashes of cameras. Jill strained to see what it was.   
  
Leon came darting across the room, naked except for a placard held over his nether regions, emblazoned with the slogan 'RPD DANCE, 2001, LIVE IT UP!' in crude writing, he flashed Jill a smile as he ran across the room, and out of the door on the other side. Jill felt rooted to the spot and unable to speak, but Claire broke the silence.   
  
'I knew he'd be naked when he returned' she declared triumphantly, before passing out on the floor.   
Jill finally broke down into all out mirth, Phoenix joining her and Jack and Becca succumbing as well. The rest of the room began to laugh, with a few twittering in disapproval and some marvelling over the prank.   
  
'C'mon, I think we'd better move Claire' said Jill, finally curbing her laughter. Phoenix wiped her eyes and nodded, helping Jill haul Claire to her feet. Despite being half unconscious, Claire's hand was tightly clenched around the nearly empty bottle of tequila. Jack quickly aided them and together they hauled Claire over to some chairs and propped her up.   
  
'This certainly has been an eventful evening' noted Jack, grinning at Phoenix. Phoenix smiled back, the scowl that was on her face completely gone.   
  
  
Bec was feeling slightly overwhelmed by the whole evening, and quietly excused herself and went outside. She was feeling dizzy from all the dancing and drinks, and needed some fresh air. Her little black dress was slightly damp from sweat, and Bec was relaxing in the refreshing air outside.   
She had not only needed fresh air, but had to think as well. She had been putting it off all evening, but now she had to confront the whole issue. The letter that Carlos had handed her in the office had been a promotion.   
  
She wasn't opposed to that, becoming head medic was a great honor and achievement for someone her age, but the fact was that it wasn't coming from Robertsville Police Department. It was from a department in Canada, a long way away from Robertsville. She had the choice of leaving her friends or moving to Canada to become head medic.   
  
The decision wasn't exactly easy, it was either to leave behind the friends who had helped her through all the bad times and defeated Umbrella with, or to become a highly paid and esteemed member in a place faraway from them. The part that complicated it all most, was that feeling she had kept buried for a long time.   
  
Bec was about to confront this as well, when Carlos walked outside and joined her.   
  
  
  
  
He could see her from the entrance of the hall. A lone figure clad in a clinging black dress and with wavy red hair falling lightly to her shoulders. Carlos steeled himself, and restrained the urge to run the 100-yard dash and began to walk over to her.   
  
'Hey Carlos' called Bec, smiling weakly at him. Carlos walked over to her, and joined her by the edge of the green.   
  
'Am I interrupting you?' he asked, noticing that she had a slight frown on her face. Bec looked a little startled, and smiled again, the smile a little stronger than before.   
  
'Of course not. I just needed some fresh air, it's really hot in there' she said easily, leaning back against the fence. Bec felt nettled and thrown off course. She had been examining her feelings for Carlos that she had thought she only possessed in the 'friend' form, but had recently discovered that she hadn't.   
  
'Did you see Leon's little display?' joked Carlos.  
  
'Who didn't? I take it was a bet' giggled Bec, poking Carlos's pocket that was stuffed full of $20 notes. Carlos patted the pocket and grinned.  
  
'Barry had to pay up when he saw what we pulled' chuckled Carlos, looking at Bec.   
  
'Wasn't the Chief pissed off?' questioned Bec curiously. Carlos winked at her and stepped in closer to her.   
  
'He was laughing his ass off' he said simply, smoothing down his jacket with a proud expression. Becca couldn't help laughing at his triumphant expression, and he joined in too.   
  
'Would you like to tell me what's bothering you?' asked Carlos, after beat. Bec looked thrown by his direct question and stared at him for a second before recovering.   
  
'Nothing, what makes you think that?' she almost blurted out, fiddling with the top of the fence nervously. Carlos placed his fingers on her chin and tilted her face up to face his.   
  
'It's just that you seemed to be having a great time in there and now you look kinda depressed' said Carlos in a low voice.  
  
Bec debated in her mind whether to tell him about the letter. She decided to, as Carlos was a human lie detector and sooner or later she was going to have to tell all of them. She took a deep breath and firmly looked in his eyes.   
  
'That letter I got a couple of days ago…' she began, choosing her words carefully.   
  
'Yeah?' asked Carlos, motioning for her to continue. Bec broke eye contact and fiddled with the fence.  
  
'It was offering me a job as head medic' she finished, looking back up into Carlos's eyes. Carlos reached forward and grasped her hands jubilantly.  
  
'Bec, that's great!' he exclaimed, conscious that he was holding her hands. Bec kept hold of his hands.  
  
'It was from a branch in Canada' she said, letting the words hang in the air for inspection. Carlos's expression changed from happy to pensive. Bec felt unable to watch his reaction, and stared at where their hands were interlocked.   
  
'So what are you going to do?' asked Carlos, dreading the answer. Bec chanced a look at him and shrugged.   
  
'It's either leave all my friends and stay here, or move there and become head medic'. Bec's shoulders drooped. 'Not an easy choice'.  
  
Carlos didn't reply. He seemed absorbed in thought. Carlos was in turmoil inside. He had finally summoned up his courage to tell her how he felt about her, only to be faced with another problem. The problem that she might not only be living in Robertsville anymore, and even if she did stay, would she care about him?   
  
'There's also another thing' said Bec, breaking into his thoughts. She let go of his hands and took a step back from him, she pursed her lips and seemed to be steeling herself, and Carlos watched her carefully.   
  
'I've also realised that I feel something for someone I'll be leaving behind' she began, looking down at the ground, unable to meet Carlos's watchful brown eyes.   
  
Carlos felt himself droop. She was going to tell him about she cared for Jack, and how she couldn't bear to leave him behind. He suddenly stood tall when he heard what she said next.   
  
'That person is you' she said simply, a wry smile forming on her lips, blushing.   
  
Carlos felt his heart skip and impulsively grabbed her hands and pulled her close. Bec let out a slight squeal, as Carlos looked deep into her eyes.   
  
'Really? Are you sure? What about Jack?' he fired questions, all out at once. Bec flinched and looked away from him, and Carlos regretted firing the questions so quickly at her.  
  
'Yes, I am sure. Never been surer before in my life. Jack…I love him so much, he's a great guy, but I can't hide my feelings for you' she said so quietly, that Carlos had to duck to hear her words. She wasn't used to making her feelings known like this, and was afraid at what Carlos's reaction might be.   
  
This was all forgotten as Carlos pulled her into a close hug, resting his chin on her hair and then drawing away. Bec looked up at him, her eyes searching his.   
  
'I came out here to tell you that I felt the same way about you, and that the thought of you leaving is…' Carlos broke off suddenly, not wanting to go too deeply into that matter. Bec reached out her arms, and Carlos pulled her close and she rested her head on her chest and shut her eyes.   
  
A slow ballad started up inside the hall, and filtered outside into the green. Carlos held out his hand to Bec and bowed.   
  
'Would you like to dance?' he asked with a theatrical flick. Bec grinned at him, and stepped into his arms again and wrapped her arms around his neck and began to sway to the music. Carlos draped his arms around her slender waist and enjoyed the feeling of her body close to his.   
  
  
  
'Leon, you're DUH MAN!' shouted Chris, smacking Leon on the back. Leon nearly choked on his wine, but managed to return Chris's cheerful smile. He patted the pocket with his share of money in it, and turned to his girlfriend.   
  
'Claire, how did you like it?' he asked jokily, wondering what shocking reply Claire would come up with. Claire grinned, her eyes crossed with alcohol and squeezed his thigh.  
'You shouldn't have carried the placard, you look sexier without it' she assured him. Jill laughed and playfully smacked Leon's shoulder.  
  
'Listen to the woman, Leon' joked Jill, beginning to enjoy herself. Jack and Phoenix both joined in with the laughter this time, and Jack teasingly took hold of Claire's hand.   
  
'Claire, what would you have done if I had done what Leon had did?' he asked, wondering what the drunk Claire would come up with.   
  
'I woulda ran up and smacked you saweet ass boy!' declared Claire, doing what she had proposed to do, to the surprise of the group. Jack jumped and dived behind Chris and Leon looked at him with mock surprise.   
  
'Say, where's Carlos gone?' asked Phoenix, looking around the room for her date.   
  
'He said he was going to his safe to stash his money, he'll be back anytime soon, Phoenix' said Chris.   
  
'That reminds me, I'd better check on Bec, she stepped outside for a bit of fresh air. I'll be back in a minute' said Jack, sauntering outside.   
  
  
  
The song had ended and Carlos was reluctant to let go of Bec.   
  
'Do we have to go inside now?' asked Carlos, not wanting to tell Phoenix what he was going to do.   
  
'I think we do, everyone will be getting suspicious' said Bec, moving away from him and just holding his hands. Carlos tilted his head and moved towards her and planted a kiss on her lips softly. Bec recoiled, but allowed him to cradle her cheeks and felt a shudder go through her from Carlos's touch.   
  
'Becca!' called a voice from the entrance of the hall. Bec quickly pulled away and turned around to face a serious-looking Jack. Carlos felt his insides contract and waited for the next move.   
  
Near to tears, Bec let go of Carlos's hand and looked up into Jack's cold blue eyes.   
  
'We have to talk' she said simply, leading Jack into a secluded spot. Carlos stood alone outside, before turning around to venture inside and break his news to Phoenix.   
  
  
  
Author's Notes: BUM BUM BUM BUM! There we have it! It was admittedly a bit sappy between Bec and Carlos, but hell, I'm a funny-kinda person and I'm no good with romance and angst! So what do you guys think, huh? Any good? This story is faaaarrr from being finished, I can tell ya! There's a lot more in store for these guys, you wait and see.   
1.'Time of Your Life' one of my favorite songs, I think it was perfectly suited to this chapter, and it's my personal fave.  
  
2.The Prank: Okay, this sucked major! But I was totally out of ideas, so be nice! It was the best I could come up with, my mind was too drained to think up anything better!  
  
3.Claire: I just had to add in a 'drunk Claire' because she would be kinda amusing with her drunken quips and remarks. She'll be a big source of fun in the next chapter, I can assure you.   
  
  
Thanks to all you guys for reading this, I'll try to have the next instalment up soon, please read and review as this a BIG chapter in the fic, Thanks!  
  
Bai~ 


	16. The Bird of the Ashes and a Wedding Prom...

'I wish I could hold you now,  
I wish I could touch you now,  
I wish I could be with you,   
I wish I could talk to you,  
Be with you somehow'  
  
'I wish' by R.Kelly  
  
  
Bird of the Ashes and a Wedding Promise.  
  
  
Bec took a deep breath and looked into the cold blue eyes. The blue eyes she used to stare at were normally a friendly, welcoming blue hue, but now they looked cold and reproachful.  
  
'Oh where the hell should I begin? Sorry Jack for leading you on, but I kinda fell back on you to make Carlos jealous and I'm sorry for being a deceiving cow' thought Bec. The little by-play in her head wasn't helping her. She shook her head fiercely.  
  
'I'm sorry' was all she was able to eek out. 'Great one Bec. State the obvious why don't you?' her mind hissed at her. She looked up again at Jack.  
  
He was frowning, and his playful expression was replaced with a pensive look. At her words, he looked down at her, and to her surprise squeezed her hand comfortingly.   
  
'Should have seen it all along' he said slightly angrily, though not in a complete rage. Bec took this moment to withdraw her hand, but he held it steadfast.  
  
'It's just that...he's Carlos. The guy who helped me through the entire Umbrella shit, the one I shared my nightmares with…'said Bec, letting the words trail off.   
  
'Then why were you giving me the impression that you were over him then?' asked Jack quietly. Ah. 'Good question' Bec thought.   
  
'I thought I was, but I realised that I wasn't when I received the letter for a promotion up in Canada. I realised that if I took the job, I would not only be leaving my friends behind, but him as well' said Bec slowly, not daring to look into his hard eyes.   
  
'I see' was all Jack said, dropping her hand abruptly and walking off in the direction of the hall. Bec stood there, her mouth agape. Composing herself, she jogged lightly over to Jack and tugged at the sleeve of his dress jacket.   
  
'Is that all your guna say?' asked Bec incredulously, tightening her hold on his jacket. Jack stopped briefly and looked at her blankly. He gave her a wistful smile.   
  
'That's all I have to say' he said blankly, answering her question. 'But I hope that your relationship with Amigo over there doesn't mean we can't be friends' he added, after a beat.   
  
Bec grinned broadly and pulled him into a friendly hug and Jack stumbled with her weight being flung at him. She pulled back after a moment and smiled at him.   
  
'May the garland of friendship be evergreen' she quoted, unable to stop smiling like a Cheshire cat. Jack still looked sad, but managed a low, shaky chuckle. They both walked into the hall, and both caught a glance at Carlos leading Phoenix outside.   
  
They stopped briefly to regard them. Jack frowned deeply and Bec saw his expression.  
  
'What's wrong?' she asked curiously, watching the pair walk down to the green.  
  
'I have a feeling Amigo over there is going to have a hard time of it with Phoenix. She's pretty pissed off with him already, for dashing off to organise the prank and all' said Jack thoughtfully, draping his hands in his pockets.   
  
'I better wait here for them to come back…I think Phoenix may need to hear it from me as well' said Bec tiredly. All the adrenaline rush and highly-strung emotions of the evening were taking its toll.   
  
Jack nodded and headed back to hall, his face drawn and slightly white. Bec marvelled at how well he had taken it, and was glad she would be able to keep his friendship. She again drew a sigh of relief, that they hadn't gone that far in the relationship, but she had her doubts with Carlos and Phoenix's relationship.  
  
She leaned against the fence, and waited patiently for Carlos and Phoenix to return. She half envisioned the scene of Phoenix strangling Carlos and searching for some place for the body. Bec shuddered and shook that thought as soon as it came to her head.   
  
  
  
'Leon, I'm telling you, I love youuuuu' drawled Claire insistently, draping herself over Leon like a snake, choking its prey. Leon grinned, slightly embarrassed at some of Claire's former speculations, but saw this as a prime chance to find out what she really thought of him.   
  
'Say Claire, am I the best lover you've ever had?' was the next question he placed for the stupefied Claire. Claire pouted for a second, and then shook her head.   
  
'Nah, my high school boyfriend was a little more imaginative' she said in thoughtful, drunken tones. Leon's expression went from cocky to angry.   
  
'But then again, you have a nicer ass' concluded Claire gravely. Leon smiled and grasped her hand. He noticed Jack walking back in, alone. He looked around.  
  
'Where's Becca?' asked Leon casually, trying to extract Claire's grasp from his face, where her fingers were kneading his skin. He noticed Jack looked somewhat stunned, and his eyes were cold and dull, like the lifeless stare of a zombie.  
  
'I found her with Carlos' was Jack's dry reply. Chris and Jill overhead the tail end of the conversation, and Chris felt his heart fire with the need to protect his surrogate sister.   
  
'Damn, he better not be playing her again, if he breaks her heart again, I'll break his neck' growled Chris, ready to run outside and pound Carlos.   
  
'What exactly happened?' questioned Jill, hand braced on Chris to restrain him from carrying out his threat. Jack looked at Jill and shrugged, dark circles beginning to form under his eyes.   
  
'I walked outside to get Bec, and found them lip locking. She told me her story, and we're going to stay friends' was Jack's somewhat monologue reply.   
  
Leon looked aghast and stood up, spilling Claire from his lap.   
  
'Is that all your guna do? I mean, Carlos stole your girl!' Leon exclaimed, clenching his fists. He'd had just about enough of Carlos's cavorting and wasn't going to stand for a nice guy like Jack being taken down in the process.   
  
'Yeah. It's because she really does love him, and she gave up a job in Canada just to be able to stay with him. If she can do that, then she really must be telling the truth to me. Carlos…I don't have anything against him because he really didn't steal Becca. He never flirted or did anything like that. He won her over, because he was the one she loved' finished Jack, managing a real smile for the first time since Bec's bombshell.   
  
At the end of this speech, Jill clapped a hand on his back and gave him a wide smile.   
  
'Even through all of that, you saw the logic and didn't go off in a mindless rage. I'm proud of you, any girl would be lucky to have you, Jack' said Jill quietly. Leon reached over and squeezed his shoulder, whilst Claire gurgled her encouragement.   
  
Chris stood silent, still as a rock. He turned to the group slowly.  
  
'Our bird of the ashes is returning…and she doesn't look happy' was his slightly sad statement.   
  
  
  
Carlos bit his lip and waited. He really didn't want to break the news to Phoenix. He was dreading the moment when he would break her happy mood with his bombshell. Phoenix's hair was rippling as she chattered on about the prank and Carlos was waiting for a pause in her conversation to break the news.   
  
'I think this calls for a celebration…when we get back home' hinted Phoenix cheekily, catching his hand. Carlos pulled back his hand and stared at Phoenix, trying to bring the words out of his mouth.   
  
Phoenix noticed his expression and her happy look turned to a slightly discontented frown.  
  
'What's wrong Carlos? Something I said?' she inquired quietly, looking into his eyes.   
  
Carlos put his hands in his pockets and looked down at the ground and then back up at Phoenix.  
  
'I really hate to say this to you, Phoenix. I never thought I would be. But I don't like you in this way anymore' was all his was able to gouge out. Phoenix's confused turned to one of anger and hate.   
  
'You player!' she shrieked, shaking her head violently. 'You used me!' and with that, she lunged at him, her manicured nails like talons. Carlos was caught off guard, but managed to grab her hands. He held them firmly down and Phoenix's heavy breathing turned into tears.   
  
He looked at her dumbly, feeling to the core that he had wished he'd never gotten involved with her. He'd just broken her heart, and her sobs were convulsing her slim body. He reached out to touch her shoulder, but she flinched away from him.   
  
'I'm in love with Becca. Continuing this with you isn't right, not when I love her' he said stiffly, shaken by the image of Phoenix wiping away her tears of anger.   
  
'Becca' mused Phoenix, beginning to recover from her outburst. 'If it was any other girl, I'd be tearing their hair out' she said, smiling wryly. Carlos breathed a sigh of relief that she was beginning to return to her normal self.   
  
'I'm really sorry to do this to you' was Carlos's somewhat strangled response. Phoenix looked up from her musings and gave him a cold look.  
  
'I'm sure you are. You had better treat Becca right, you here?' she said, beginning to walk back. Carlos jogged towards her.  
  
'Phoenix, where are you going?' he asked, he retreating figure.   
  
'I need sometime to myself' was her cold reply. She stopped to rub her eyes, when she noticed Bec standing there, watching her. She half contemplated slapping her, but withdrew the thought when she saw Bec's meek and sad expression.   
  
'I feel bad at doing this to you and Jack. But I hope we can stay friends' said Bec hopefully and truthfully.  
  
'I'm glad you've found each other. I would be happy to stay as your friend, Becca' said Phoenix lightly. She swayed dangerously and was caught by Carlos. She involuntarily fought Carlos's hold but relaxed and allowed him to prop her p by the fence. She glared at him and tossed her head.   
  
'I think we shoulda stayed away from all that red wine' groaned Phoenix. It felt like the Russians and the Americans were having a nuclear war inside her skull.   
'I totally agree. We'd better go inside. Coming, Phoenix?' asked Becca, offering her arm. Phoenix grudgingly linked arms with Carlos and three began to walk back indoors, when the rest of the group joined them outside.   
  
  
  
'Nice night, huh? We all thought we'd step outside for a while' said Leon complacently, looking at the troubled threesome. Phoenix let out a long breath.  
  
Chris looked troubled and steeled himself. He burrowed in his pocket for the small box. It was the best time to do it and he wanted everyone to hear. The moon was casting a ghostly glow over everyone's faces, and he felt now was the right time.   
  
He gently took Jill's hand and went down on one knee. Bec let out an excited gasp, as she knew what was coming next. Chris swallowed and pried open the box, revealing a small diamond ring.   
  
'Jill will you, uh, please, do me the honour of uh…' he stuttered nervously. Leon let out a chuckle and slapped his back lightly.  
  
'What I think this stuttering idiot is trying to say, is will you marry him?' said Leon, smiling broadly at Jill's shocked and happy expression and Chris's deathly pallor.   
  
'Yes. Of course I will. I've been waiting goddamn ages for you to have just asked!' said Jill jubilantly, throwing her arms around Chris and hugging her pale husband-to-be.   
  
Bec walked over and hugged both of them, examining the fine ring. The single diamond glittered brightly, beckoning of prosperous times to come.   
  
Carlos and Leon both thumped Chris's shoulder and Carlos kissed Jill's cheek quickly and fully, both unable to stop grinning. Jack walked up and offered his congratulations.   
  
'Wait a minute, where's Claire?' asked Chris, beginning to frown worriedly. His intoxicated sister wasn't with the party out on the green. He was rewarded by Phoenix screaming and pointing to an oak tree, where his sister was dangling dangerously.   
  
'Shit, we better get her down. She's too drunk to manage it safely by herself' said Carlos with alacrity, stepping forwards to help Claire. They all watching as Claire giggled and climbed higher in the tree.  
  
'Claire, this isn't a good idea, Sugar, come down off the tree!' yelled Leon to his cross-eyed girlfriend.   
  
'Ohhh…Mr Tree and me have something goooinngg' slurred Claire, swinging dangerously. The whole group convulsed as she proceeded to hang upside down from the tree.   
  
'Sis, if you get down now, I'll get you a nice big bottle of tequila, how does that sound?' asked Chris desperately. Claire only giggled and swung like a monkey. Jack took a step towards the tree.   
  
'I'll get her down' he said. Beginning to grip onto the tree trunk. Jill stepped forward.  
  
'Are you sure? She's pretty gone, it'll be hard to carry her down' she said, looking up at Claire's droopy form. Jack grinned, his boyish features adopting a cheerful look.   
  
'I'll just imagine her as being a very large cat' he said smoothly, chuckling lightly. He began climbing the tree before anybody could object.   
  
Jack had reached the branch where Claire was beginning to shed her clothes to the shock of the group waiting down below.  
  
'Well, heellloooo Jackyyyy' she said, batting her eyelashes, reeking of drink. Jack reached out to grab Claire who held onto the branch as if her life depended on it.   
  
'Come on Claire, it's not safe up here' he insisted, trying to wrench her grip from the branch. Claire hugged the branch and stuck her tongue out. Jack thought quickly, trying to come up with a way to entice her down. He suddenly hit upon an idea.  
  
'Your love god is waiting for you' he said darkly, watching Claire's hands uncoil from the branch.   
  
'Love god…needs some good loooving, but tequila' said Claire sadly, letting herself be drawn towards Jack.  
  
'What about tequila?' asked Jack, as he began to climb down the tree with Claire over his shoulder like a heavy sack.  
  
'It's all gone!' she said sadly, looking at the empty bottle. Jack gave a groan of effort and climbed down the last part. He wondered how Claire had gotten up so high in her state. It was tough enough for him. They were greeted by applause as he approached the anxious group below.   
  
'Thanks a lot Jack' said Leon gratefully, removing the bundle from Jack. Claire gurgled and giggled and blew Jack a kiss. Chris was about to say something, when Claire interrupted.   
  
'I'd rather give Jack some loving, but I'll settle for my love god' was Claire's earnest statement.   
The eventful evening ended in laughter, though Chris shook his head at his sister's behaviour.   
  
  
'Well we better be heading off' said Leon to the others. He's installed Claire in the car, and firmly strapped her in. She waved at them, semi drunk, and semi sleepy blowing them kisses, like a film star to her fans.   
  
'Thanks again for helping out with Claire' said Leon to Jack, gratefully. Jack shook his head and smiled. 'Congratulations again, Chris and Jill, this is the best news we've heard in a while' he shouted from car as they drove off. Jill and Chris waved, and then paused to share a loving kiss.   
  
Jack felt entirely drained by the evening's events. He'd hooked up with Bec, witnessed a semi naked Leon, been dumped by Bec and then rescued someone from a tree. It was enough excitement for one evening. He turned to Phoenix who was cursing under her breath.   
  
'What's up?' he asked, as Phoenix hopped about in a frustrated manner.   
  
'My feet are killing me from these shoes, and I think I'll have to endure a walk home in them' she moaned, wriggling her toes. Jack cocked his head over to where Bec and Carlos were deep in conversation.   
  
'I'm sure Carlos would give you a lift home, he isn't the kinda guy to ditch a girl like this' said Jack positively. Phoenix shook her head defiantly.   
  
'I don't want to intrude. You know?' she said, pushing her bangs out of her eyes. Jack grinned boyishly and offered his arm.   
  
'I'll give you a ride home, as I don't think Becca will be needing it' he said, turning to Phoenix. Phoenix accepted his arm and walked over to his car.   
  
'Fact is though; I'm not that tired yet. You want to go to a bar or someplace?' he asked shyly, before getting in the car. Phoenix sat in the passenger front seat and slammed the car door.   
  
'Best suggestion I've heard all evening' she said cheerily, welcoming the thought of having a sherry with a nice guy like Jack. 'But one thing…'she said, as Jack turned the engine on.   
  
'No funny business' she said simply, her eyes looking fatigued by the events of the dance. Jack nodded and was about to say something before she interrupted.  
  
'At least not yet' she said coyly, hiding her expression by looking outside the window.   
Jack let out a low whistle and smiled. He'd get there, eventually. They both would. However, they'd endured enough of that kind of emotion this evening. It was time to knock back, and relax. He decided to save examining his relationship with Phoenix for a later date.   
  
  
'Would you look at that?' noted Chris as he saw Phoenix and Jack drive off together. Jill frowned slightly and scrutinised the disappearing car.   
  
'Don't worry, I think they've just become friends because of this thing with Carlos and Becca' said Chris soothingly. 'Besides we have other things to think off, Mrs Redfield-to-be' he said fondly, stroking her hair.   
  
'Like what we're going to call, uhh, the next little Redfield?' said Jill haltingly, not meeting Chris's gaze. Chris's blissful expression changed to one of horror. He shook his head, but Jill nodded, the color rising in her cheeks.   
  
'No way!' said Chris disbelievingly, looking at Jill closely, thinking it was one of Jill's jokes to scare the crap out of him. Jill shook her head and pulled Chris close to her.   
  
'I was going to tell you when we got home. But I couldn't keep it in any longer' she said in a whisper. Chris stared at her dumbly, before pulling her into a loving embrace. He pulled away and placed his hand lightly on Jill's belly. He frowned lightly.   
  
'Haven't you been drinking this evening?' he asked, the paternal instincts beginning to kick in already. Jill rested her hand over his. She looked up at him, with watery blue eyes, smiling wistfully.  
  
'Yeah, I was the one responsible for filling up on the all non-alcoholic wine' she said sheepishly, her mouth curling up into a naughty smile. 'Of course I didn't tell anyone that, didn't want to raise suspicion'.  
  
'I bet. We have a lot to talk about when we get home' he Chris empathetically, leading Jill towards the car. 'Should we tell the others?' he asked in a low voice, once they were in the convertible.  
  
'Not yet. They've all had enough shocks to last them for a while' said Jill softly, looking out the window. 'Besides, I can't wait to spring that bombshell on them and scare the crap outta them' said Jill devilishly, grinning wickedly. Chris raised his eyebrows and laughed.   
  
'Of course, it's going to be a boy. He'll have his dad's dashing good looks and amazing presence on the battlefield, plus he'll be the best left quarter-back the world's ever seen, after me, of course' said Chris jokingly, unable to take his eyes off Jill's belly.   
  
Jill pouted and began to concoct her story. She let her eyes close lightly, and thought about the life growing inside her.   
  
'SHE will be a stunner like her mother. But will have the sparkling green eyes like her dad, and drive the guys wild. She'll be captain of the sprint relay team, and will run track like both her parents, and she'll stand up to those goddamn cheerleaders!' declared Jill passionately, as Chris started the car and began to drive back home.   
  
'What if she ends up being a cheerleader?' asked Chris. Jill shook her head furiously.  
  
'No way!' she said passionately. 'Not in a million years, hell, I don't know what the sex it is yet…so we'll keep dreaming until the time comes' said Jill pensively, resting her head on Chris's shoulder.   
  
The couple arrived back at their small home. Jill looked at the dark front lawn, and imagined it littered with bicycles and various sports equipment, and the oak tree, which would hold a swing.   
The Redfield Family sounded strange to her, but she would grow to love it. She rested her hand upon her belly and sighed, immersed in thought.   
  
  
  
Leon grunted in effort as he struggled to carry Claire up the stairs. The journey in car had lulled Claire into a deep, coma like sleep. Her lips were smiling, and she looked comfortable and warm. She was hugging the bottle of tequila to her, finger tightly clutching it.   
  
He gave up on the stairs, and placed Claire carefully on the couch, pulling her shoes off and tucking a blanket over her. He was about to go and get himself a black coffee when he heard a groan from the couch where Claire was reposing. He wandered back to find a dishevelled Claire propping herself up by her elbows.   
  
'Ugghh…my head' she mumbled, raising a hand to massage the afflicted head. Leon pulled her into her lap, and stroked the aching head.   
  
'Do you remember any of tonight's events?' asked Leon curiously, wondering how the eyes of a drunk would render the dance's outcome. Claire rubbed her eyes and slumped against Leon.   
  
'I remember you running around naked with a placard, and drinking a lot…nothing else' she said, groaning. She caught sight of Leon's knowing grin and her eyebrows went up. 'What, did I do anything else?' she asked, dreading his reply.   
  
'Your brother and Jill got engaged, Carlos and Becca got together, and you climbed up a tree and was rescued by Jack' said Leon, pausing for a breath. Claire moved away from Leon and looked into his twinkling blue orbs. Claire groaned.   
  
'A tree? What the hell was I doing up a tree?' asked Claire incredulously, wriggling like a meditative calf. Leon ruffled the curtain of auburn hair thoughtfully, and kissed the top of the rumpled head.   
  
'I thought the same thing, but luckily Jack came to the rescue' replied Leon, shifting to make himself more comfortable on the couch. He heard no response from Claire. He looked down and found her in a contented, deep sleep. Leon tickled her under her chin lightly, and settled back to sleep.   
  
  
  
'Here we are' drawled Carlos as they drove up to Becca's house. Bec got out of the car, and Carlos followed, catching her hand as they walked along. They stopped at her front doorstep.   
  
'Never imagined I'd end up getting a ride home with you' said Bec thoughtfully, looking down at the step. Carlos smiled and shrugged, catching hold of her chin and raising her lips to his. After the kiss Bec pulled back.   
  
'Well, better be going now. Thanks for the ride, Carlos' said Bec sweetly, unable to wipe the smile off her face. Carlos lingered at her doorstep, leaning on the doorframe with his eyebrows arched. She waited for him to answer.   
  
'Mi chica, there is still one way we could entertain each other' he said suggestively, sliding his arm around her waist. Bec drew back voluntarily in surprise.   
  
'I know that much. But too much has happened already this evening…and it's moving kinda fast for me' said Bec firmly, untangling herself from Carlos. He simply nodded and pulled her close, feeling the press of her small body against him.   
  
'Just tell me when you're ready' he said, ruffling her hair. 'And I'll come running'.  
  
Bec giggled and gave her Carlos a kiss goodbye and went inside the house. She looked with new eyes at the small house, which she had grown fond of. She wasn't going to have to leave it, and it would hold many happy memories to come. It felt strange thinking of Carlos as being hers, as she had never imagined the opportunity would come round again.   
  
She slipped off her shoes, and padded upstairs in her stockings. She slipped off her dress and stocking, throwing them onto the nearby chair and pulled on her comfortable flannel pyjamas.   
  
The dance had opened a whole window of opportunities. There was Chris and Jill's   
Wedding to look forward to, a future with Carlos and her work with the STARs. It was strange to think that only a few days ago, she had been so low and morose and the contrast it was between herself then, and herself now was stark and strange.   
  
Bec smiled to herself, and cuddled down under the covers, hugging the teddy bear (a Christmas gift from Chris) and settled into a relaxing slumber.   
  
  
  
-The End.   
  
  
Chicky's note: HAHAHAHAHA! I've finally finished this worthless piece of writing! Jeez, it's taken me ages! Thank you to all the people who supported this fic, I'm really happy for your reviews and suggestions!  
  
1.Chris and Jill's wedding and baby: I was intending to include the proposing part for ages, but the baby bit just popped into my head and I thought it would be cute. I know it sounds kinda cheesy, but wouldn't a Chris 'n' Jill baby look so adorable? And it leaves me an opening for the sequel! (If I have time to write it!)  
  
2.Phoenix and Jack: I didn't want to throw these two together, as a) it was too obvious I was going to and b) after being dumped, it would look as though they were both on the rebound. I hope to keep these two characters, and I would like some suggestions as to whether I should keep them or not.   
  
3.Carlos and Rebecca: Okay, I know most of you expected a sex scene between them, but the fact is, I can't for the life of me write them! I'm not really into all this deep stuff. Also, I didn't think Becca is the type to just 'jump into bed' with somebody.  
  
4. Claire and Leon: Ahh, these two. I have a soft spot for this mischievous pairing, and again most people expected them to 'get it on' (like they never do) but again, there's the whole 'I can't write sex scenes' thing and the fact Claire was totally wasted.   
  
  
Well, here ends Come Dance With Me…and I hoped all you guys liked it. Whew, I'm tired!  
  
Sayonara!  
  
-Chicky Tifa x. 


End file.
